The City That Cycles With the Young, the Old, the Busy and the Dead

[Cattledog]

Nearly half of all journeys to school and work in Copenhagen take place on bicycles. And people like it that way.

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The bicycle is liberation from municipal buses and their frequent stops. The bicycle spares people from having to worry about where to park cars. The bicycle puts people in control of when they leave and when they arrive.

“Some people ride their bikes to the hospital to give birth,” said Ms. Gulsrud, who is herself pregnant with her second child. “I’m not going to do that.”

A former neighbor operates a bicycle mortuary service, pedaling the departed to their final destinations in caskets. Mail carriers use bicycles to deliver parcels. People use bicycles to get to the airport, sometimes pushing wheeled suitcases alongside them while they roll.

Some 49 percent of all journeys to school and work now transpire by bicycle, according to the city, up from 36 percent a decade ago. When the municipal government recently surveyed Copenhagen’s bikers on what inspires them to bike, 55 percent said it was more convenient than the alternatives. Only 16 percent cited environmental benefits.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/09/world/europe/biking-copenhagen.html

[malaise]

1. And everyone is healthier for the practice

What is really important is that Danes have ensured that it is safe to ride bicycles so cities provide safe lanes

[Sanity Claws]

2. Lots of cyclists in Amsterdam too

Think of the health benefits for the people.
The country saves a lot of money in infrastructure building too. Lots cheaper to build bike racks than paving and maintaining highways.

[RainCaster]

3. I am very impressed at how the Netherlands has embraced cycling

People there have many different bikes-
* commuting bike
* bar hopping bike
* church bike
* Saturday bike
* trail bike

I found this out chatting in pubs with locals, my past time when traveling for work.

The commuting bike is solid and has a rack to bring home groceries after work.

The bar hopping bike is disposable, because some drunk might toss it in to the canal. I saw many of those on Sunday mornings in the pub districts.

The going to church bike is clean simple and conservative. It can be ridden in dress slacks.

The Saturday bike is your lightweight road screamer for riding in a bike club event.

The trail bike is for offloading, usually done in neighboring countries, as Holland is too flat.

[IcyPeas]

4. Netherlands is pretty flat...

which makes riding much easier.