photo credit: Tiffany Jansen
It's no secret that the Dutch are crazy about their bicycles.
Heck, even the monarchs have been known to go riding out among their subjects! Juliana (the current King's grandmother) made frequent appearances on her fiets (bicycle).
No matter where you go in this small country, you're sure to see a plethora of the two-wheeled contraptions.
But nowhere is it quite like in Amsterdam.
The Dutch capital is simply crawling with them. Tourists and residents crowd the bicycle paths, bikes are chained to every stationary object imaginable, bicycle racks and parking lots are filled to the brim.
Although the population is only 800,000 people, the city is also home to an estimated 880,000 bikes. According to government calculations, that's four times the number of cars.
Last Friday, the New York Times reported that the bike problem is staggering. There are way too many bikes, but nowhere near enough places to put them. And the traffic jams caused by cyclists are astounding. Nor is the sheer number of bikes doing anything aesthetically for Amsterdam. Congested parking lots and racks, and lampposts, benches, trash receptacles, and street signs choked with two-wheelers are hardly attractive sights.
There are so many cyclists in Amsterdam that the city even has a 4,000-member Cyclists' Union (Fietsersbond).
With its narrow streets, unbalanced land-to-water ratio, and backed up roadways, cycling is the fastest and most efficient - not to mention environmentally friendly - transportation option in Amsterdam. So it's no wonder most people prefer to get around by bike.
But the question remains: what is to be done to meet the incredible demand for parking space in Amsterdam?
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