Kenneth C. Martin Blogs: Dreamy streets, beautiful people on bicycles, and other scenes from my Amsterdam vacation

Monday, October 9, 2017

Dreamy streets, beautiful people on bicycles, and other scenes from my Amsterdam vacation

Young people cycling by themselves without helmets is a common sight in Amsterdam.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

You probably didn’t even notice, but I just returned from 17 days in France and Amsterdam.

Even though I wasn’t working, I managed to snap a few photos of wonky street scenes, bicycles, and the people who ride them.

I’ll share photos and a few thoughts from my time in Paris in a separate post. Today let’s take a look at what I saw in Amsterdam.

As some of you might recall, I did a study trip in Amsterdam (and elsewhere) in 2013. This time around was much different. Juli (my wife) and I were there simply as tourists — to soak up as much of the local culture as we could and enjoy the quirks that make Amsterdam many peoples’ favorite city in the world. We strolled along narrow, canal-lined streets and visited museums, shops, and charming cafés. And guess what? We never set foot on a pedal. Instead, we opted to walk everywhere.

The decision to walk saved us a few Euros and enabled us to wander seamlessly — safely out of the infamously fast-flowing river of Amsterdam bike traffic. (Being on foot also helped me realize that in a city where bicycling dominates, walking suffers.)

For simplicity’s sake, I’ve put my images into three broad categories: people, places, and things.

People

I could sit in a café and watch people on bikes in Amsterdam all day. Compared to what I see in Portland, the diversity (in age, race, and class) of riders and skill they demonstrate is remarkable.

Teens just out of school roll by in groups, continuing the same conversations they had in class (it’s very quiet in Amsterdam because there are so few cars); people calmy carry all types of objects (including babies and small children) that would evoke stares or even rebukes in Portland; many people use their phones while biking; older people maintain their independence and freedom of movement thanks to bicycling; lots of business — from the mail to freight delivery — gets done by bike; and they do it all while looking very fashionable (this is Europe after all).

This fellow could barely walk; but you’d never know it by the way he pedaled.

Places

Walking around the streets of Amsterdam is like being a kid in a candy store. Narrow streets are all but given over fully to bicycling and/or walking and wider streets have cross-sections that transportation refomers in the U.S. can only dream about. I can’t recall any places where drivers dominate. And even when cars are present, the speeds are very low and it’s understood that people on bikes and foot have priority.

With so few cars, Amsterdam is probably the quietest big city in the world. And without the need to facilitate parking or driving of automobiles, street markets flourish throughout the city.

The permanently carfree Albert Cuyp market street in the De Pijp neighborhood.

A bikeway that’s set in stone, literally.

Outside a popular grocery and housewares store on Jodenbreestraat.

Advisory bike lanes like these are all over Amsterdam. They’re used in environments with limited space and vehicle operators are expected to share with each other.

This side-street off a main road is essentially bike-only. Unfortunately the walking environment isn’t great. Walking side-by-side like the blue sign shows wouldn’t even be possible.

Streets of my dreams: Dense housing and retail, wide sidewalks, dedicated bikeways, a parking lane, an auto lane, and two dedicated transit lanes. Are you kidding me?!

I was fascinated by Utrechtsestraat in the Amstelveld neighborhood. A busy shopping street with many modes (freight, bike, walk, transit) and with almost no markings or dedicated infrastructure, everyone managed to use the road safely and efficiently…

It know it’s a blurry image (above), but I want you to notice that despite the hectic motorized environment, there’s a woman biking with small (helmetless) kids while holding a dog on a leash.