The Netherlands has cycle lanes everywhere, and this is a very good thing. I love being able to cycle here knowing that I am safe from cars and trucks, but more often than not I find myself being the pedestrian.
Like normal roads, at intersections, cycle lanes have pedestrian crossings and in an ideal world, for a pedestrian, this would make crossing cycle lanes very easy…..That is, if Dutch cyclists actually behaved as if the crossings actually exist.
Often, especially at busy intersections, there is a steady stream of cyclists, who can very well see you trying to cross at the crossing, but in 6 months of braving the Amsterdam pavements, I have only ever had one cyclist stop to let me cross. It feels like I keep having to run the guantlet.
So, why do they have crossings over cycle lanes if cyclists ignore them? They may as well not have them at all.
Conversely though, I have found that cars are very patient with pedestrians, and will invariably stop to let pedestrians cross at crossings. This is what makes cyclists behaviour particularly puzzling.
Comments