Author: Chris Smith

  • Lessons from the Netherlands: Speed Kills

    One of the fascinating things about cycling here in Amsterdam and the rest of the country is that they have this incredible volume of cycling yet very low accident counts compared to our country. The planners believe there are several factors involved (wearing helmets is not one of them – nobody does for city riding).…

  • KBOO Bike Show: Sara’s Travels and Critical Mass

    Listen to the show (mp3, 12.8M) Sara recounts her bikey travels in Europe and features interviews with European bike advocates. An update on the struggles of NYC Critical Mass.

  • Postcard from Amsterdam

    A short break from writing about policy to talk about our experience here in Amsterdam. I couldn’t resist taking this photo for Commissioner Dan Saltzman. It’s the perfect urban development – transportable, green-roof, residential – do you think we can get it LEED certified? It’s actually just a block from our Amsterdam HQ. Portland Transport…

  • Lessons from the Netherlands: It’s the Parking Stupid

    When the planners in Amsterdam identified the critical factors in making cycling work on a large scale, parking was one of the key bullets. When you think about the amount of parking for 40% of all trips being made by bike, the numbers are staggering as the photos here illustrate. Bike parking must be provided…

  • Beyond the Woonerf, Evolution of Cycling in the Netherlands

    After being dazzled by the prevalence of bicycles here, once my head stopped spinning, I couldn’t help but wonder “how did this come to be?” We got some of the answers yesterday with presentations from Amsterdam’s bicycle coordinator and a representative of an NGO whose mission is to help other countries adapt the Netherland’s learnings…