Exploring a Dutch beach and more
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- čas přidán 24. 12. 2022
- A reaction video of our ride from Delft to The Hague and then on to the ocean for a little beach action before returning to Delft through the quiet countryside and small villages. This video provides an intersecting cross-section of Dutch cycle network designs, including Edge Lane Roads, Neighborhood Access Streets or erftoegangswegen (ETWs), separated and protected cycle paths, and low-speed roundabouts with integrated protected cycle paths.
As it turns out, we did not pass through Naaldwijk but the village of Wateringen, which is where we had a beer. This was my confusion trying to recreate the route via internet maps after the fact. Thanks to the views who have helped with this clarification.
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Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
I grew-up as a teenager in the Netherlands in the 1960s and 1970s, when cars were taking over the streets, and our monumental squares for parking.
Cycling to school behind diesel buses, blowing their exhaust straight in my face. Weaving your fragile body between all those cars made cycling a rebellious activity.
From having that experience I can understand how it is for people in other countries, and I appreciate the present Dutch infrastructure every day that I cycle.
Yes. You've lived through what we are navigating through currently in much of North America. Thanks so much for tuning in. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John
The unique thing about The Hague is that since it never was walled (being more the soft-power centre of the counts of Holland and a hunting/recreation area for the toffs) it was never as cramped and dense as a city like Delft. The Hague was more a very large village surrounded by estates and mansions.
This means the roads are wider and give more options to separate modes of transport. There is also a lot more green space and parks even by European standards. On the other hand it is also more spread out and distances are longer. Delft is more a walking city, The Hague is very good for cycling.
Very interesting. Thank you so much for watching and providing these fabulous insights. I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John
The Vliet between Delft and Voorburg and Leiden is the old Canal of Corbulo from Roman times, when it was the inland shipping connection between the castellum at Matilo (Leiden) and the Roman naval base at Naaldwijk, via the Forum Hadrianii market location at Voorburg. Later the Vliet was used as a Trekschuit connection between Leiden and Delft. These inland shipping routes were the transport backbone especially in this part of South Holland. The road that might also have been a cycle path alongside it was the old towpath. A Roman military street ran alongside the Fossae: its milestones were found in Wateringen, and also more toward Naaldwijk.
Thank you so much for sharing this history and context. Much appreciated. Cheers! John
Bike lane in the door zone. When learning to drive a car in the Netherlands we are told to use your right hand to open your door. This means that you automatically look behind you to see what is coming. And Dutch drivers also cycle, so they know what to look out for.
Yes. I have heard this many times. Although I will say that I saw during this trip a careless driver fling open his door and nearly take out a family riding their bikes (I can't remember precisely which city that incident was in). My point is that this is a design choice, and a different design can lessen, if not eliminate, the chance for such a life-altering "mistake". Ultimately it is about the political will to make the investment in choices that don't prioritize the convenience of car storage. Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTowns Yes it does happen. This kind of infrastructure is therefore slowly disappearing. Newly resurfaced roads rarely (if ever) get bike 'lanes' anymore. The bikepaths will usually be on the other side of the parked cars, separated by a curb or trees. Also, bidirectional bikepaths are more and more often the preferred option.
@@lisasyoutubeaccount Thanks for this contribution to the conversation. Yeah, given the constraints along this particular stretch, I would not be surprised to see a new canal-side two-way cycle path here in the near future. Thanks for watching. I hope you are also enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
In recent years, a number of 4 lane roads have been reduced to 2 in The Hague, but there are also streets that are part of the main ring road in The Hague and will almost certainly always remain 2x2 lanes and some of these were roads where you drove. , but there is indeed room for cycling there too.
Perhaps you have once paid attention to the markings on the street, especially the use of shark teeth (triangles) that clearly indicate everywhere who has priority without a forest of signs.
Around '19:18', that area is still developing (2024), mainly because owners here had the freedom to design and build their own house, which did not always ensure the most efficient construction.
The Hague has 550,000 inhabitants and also 550,000 trees on municipal land, there is a website where you can look up every tree with its type and age.
In 1957 there was a tree planting day for the first time, out of the desire to have every child plant a tree during primary school years, and this day is still held every year. I think this helped with a collective consciousness and love for trees
Wow! Thanks so much for watching and sharing all this wonderful information. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
We are so spoiled 🤩
Well, y'all worked hard to achieve this. The 1970s was the real turning point for the future build-out of safer, more inviting cycle networks appropriate for All Ages & Abilities. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John
Great that you don't just show the good stuff, but also the older bike infra here in the netherlands. It's all under construction. ;)
Thanks for noticing and mentioning this. I try to emphasize that is all a work in progress and it is truly never done. Thanks for watching and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Hi John,
Another nice video to watch. And always very interesting to see your own country trough the eyes of a foreigner.
You are becoming a real US expert on Dutch traffic rules and our continuing search for better designs and rules! But during this trip to the beach I think I heard some misunderstandings. Not an expert myself, but living and biking here my whole life, I think I can give some remarks:
- Sometimes the (red) bricks are not the most comfortable for the bikes, but much better for the trees. Bricks give some oxygen and rainwater to the roots of the trees. Asfalt closes the surface and then the tree roots start to push up and seek a way to the other side much more and destroy the bike path.
- Red bricks in urban streets: often they are older and have nothing to do with "fietsstraat" it's just a color of bricks that was often used. Bricks in streets are often used to slow the speed of cars because they make more noise and thus give more the impression of speeding to the car driver.
- In 30km zones bicycles don't have priority. The normal traffic rules are used everywhere. So traffic from the right (cars, motorcycles, mopeds or bicycles) are given priority when the streets are the same in type. When you're on a priority street (voorrangsweg) you have the right of way even on traffic from the right. The shark teeth on the surface are the best indicator who has to yield.
- Even on a bicycle navigating with your phone in your hand can cost you €160. Even looking at your phone for a few seconds is not allowed. Buy a steer holder and place your phone in the holder during a trip. And in the larger cities police really do give a lot of these tickets.
- The houses you liked in The Hague have a very specific style and you can find them everywhere in the Netherlands. They were build in the new (and richer) neighborhoods of many cities that were developed in the late 19th and beginning of the 20th century, so between 1880 and 1920. After a century of declining prosperity in the Netherlands there was a new wealth in that period in our country and new neighborhoods were build in many cities in this specific style. In the Hague many of these houses were build by people coming back from the Dutch Indies (Indonesia) after working there for some decades and then retiring early in these nice houses.
Thanks so much! Wonderful points and great context. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John
Yes, the section with the roundabouts has been renovated, it was a 2x2. Now brought back to 2x1 with a so-called 'ventweg' service road in front of the houses.
Cool! Thanks 🙏
Merry Christmas John this was a fun stream/video thank you.
The Hague/Den Haag and Delft are both beautiful and awesome city's especially The Hague/Den Haag i have been there plenty of times myself.
Other than that a great video keep up the great work👍
And greetings from the Netherlands🇳🇱
Thanks so much for watching! I agree completely. I hope you enjoy some of the other videos on the Channel as well. Cheers! John
Interesting video of the area and countryside. Love the ride through the country and along the tree lined bike trails.
Glad you enjoyed it. Those were my favorite parts of the ride as well. Cheers! John
Off course riding a bicycle with larger wheels is smoother on a brick cycle path. Anyways I love your channel.
Yes. For sure. I could always drop the tire pressure just a tad as well.😉 Cheers! John
Nice ride 👍all familiair roads to me 😊greetings from The Netherlands
Cool! Thanks so much for tuning in. Greetings from Austin, TX. Cheers! John
Interesting that you guys cycle behind each other. Dutch people will cycle next to each other.
The Netherlands has actually the most dense highway system in the world and it is quiet because we use sound absorbing asphalt.
Mostly for the benefit of filming and not wanting to block others coming up behind us. We did frequently ride side by side, chatting extensively while not filming. Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate it. Cheers! John
So nice to see you biking the route I took as a kid/youngster. All the familiar places I played myself and went with our children. Almost a little emotional when I hear you speaking so positive and in English about these places. Thanks. By the way: we now live in Utrecht and I can recommend you to visit us there too.
Thanks so much for watching, Richard. Ask, and you shall receive. I literally visited Utrecht that very next day (Oct 31st), and I'll be Premiering that video later this evening to close out 2022. czcams.com/video/fMHEorCfZJQ/video.html
Wishing you a very happy new year.
Cheers! John
33:41 Hey John, My wife and I were just in the Netherlands last August (2022) on a bike /barge trip and can confirm that the biggest hill indeed is in Arnhem! LOL We had a good laugh over that as we relived the climb! Love your videos and enthusiasm…keep it up!
Yay! Thanks so much. Glad you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Dutch motorways (and other roads) are paved with porous asphalt which reduces spray but also noise levels as the negative texture reduces tyre noise and also less air compression between tyre and asphalt. In addition crossing the motorway there was a noise glass screen and the road is in a trench reducing noise coming out. Many Dutch motorways are bordered by sound absorbing wall. All ideas you could use in USA instead of cement concrete roads
Sounds good to me. Thanks so much for watching, Rom. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Nice, you almost cycled past my house on that ride.
Cool! It was such a fascinating ride in so many ways. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTowns Definately enjoying the channel. It's great to see how in the U.S. cycling slowly gains ground, literally! Aslo, a happy and healthy New Year for you and those close to your heart.
@@QiuArVee Yay! Happy New to you as well. Cheers! John 😀
The major intersection at 10:30 - 11:00 is tiny by Phoenix metro standards. Maybe not EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas ;) Great video, guys! Thanks for sharing this experience for those of us who haven't made it across the Atlantic.
You are quite welcome! That's why I produce these. It's not quite as impactful as seeing it in person, but I hope these videos provide a glimmer of hope as to what is possible, including the ones I produce highlighting the successes happening right here in North America. Be sure to check out the playlists I have created that highlight some bright lights on this continent. Thanks so much for tuning in... please share with others... it means so much to me. Cheers! John
32:20 you are right, that infrastructure is about 2 years old. It is part of Noordwestelijke Hoofdroute. The main north western route.
Cool! Thanks 😀
Hi guys! Nice video. I live in The Haguea and I know well the route you followed. You did not pass trough Naaldwijk but the village of Wateringen, where you had a beer!
Thanks so much for the clarification. Unfortunately, I can't correct the video, but I will take note of that in the video description. Cheers! John
I cycle the high speed cycle route from Leiden to The Hague. That is very enjoyable to do. If you have not done that, you should try it.
Oh cool! I'll have to check that one out the next time I am there. Thanks! 😀
Roundabouts require more room than straight crossings. In an existing situation it is often not possible to make a nice large roundabout without tearing down buildings. That is probably why the occasional roundabout seems a little tight.
Yes. Exactly. Especially when they are designed to prioritize motor speed and throughput. I discuss this in detail Dutch street designer Lennart Nout in this video: czcams.com/video/nwXwzFpGQDk/video.html
They do not. Search the explanation by Lennart. They require less space.
@@woutervannispen2325 Thanks! And Lennart would know. Hehe 🤣 Unfortunately, as he mentions the monsters they are building (overbuilding) in North America end up taking up much too much additional space. Cheers! John
Cool you went right past my house at 23:30 :) Also when you said you where at the outskirts of The Hague you where actually very near the city center and that road is one of a few major traffic corridors in the city, outside of those it's usually much quieter.
Edit: The other road where you pointed out the traffic was another one of these traffic corridors, in fact that road carries most of the traffic on the West side of the city because there's no highway so that's the main north south corridor on that side of the city.
Also as others have mentioned that was not Naaldwijk, but Wateringen which is a village/suburb of The Hague and the newer suburb next to it is the Wateringse Veld neighborhood which is part of the municipality of The Hague and not of Waterining which explains some of the differences in infrastructure. You can observe the same thing when you went from the municipality of Rijswijk through the park into the municipality of The Hague.
Ah cool! Thanks so much, Robert. Cheers! John
You was not in Naaldwijk but in Wateringen. A real good effort!
Oh no! Foiled by Google maps again? Thanks for the help.
What I always like about the Dutch big cities is how the older suburbs (1920’s to 1950’s) might have the same style of buildings but the infrastructure reveals which city it is. Rotterdam has the widest roads with green singels (polder waterways) in Amsterdam the streets are more narrow. The Hague takes the middle and has a lot of very large trees in the side walks.
... it also shows the WW2 bombing patterns. Rotterdam was bombed the most, Den Haag less so, and Amsterdam virtually not at all.
After the war the infrastructure was rebuild modeled after the American infrastructure. In hindsight a huge mistake.
@@wimahlers yeah, though many people forget that Rotterdam started building larger roads and demolishing a lot of the old buildings that were in bad shape during the 1920’s and 30’s. So A lot of the old city center was already replaced. But after the bombardment what was left of it was gone as well.
Yes. Fascinating observation. Thank you. Cheers! John
I did this trip as a kid ( 9 yers old) and can advice about the route ,there is a bicycle only road following the tram and the canal,you were right Google leads you to the big roads
Yes, a few days later for the Den Haag Bike Light Parade, we took that route - much more pleasant. Here's my video from that evening. It started raining hard right before the parade just so we could have the full experience. Hehe 🤣://czcams.com/video/nh-b1ZRtpgA/video.html Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Never plan with google maps, you’ll mostly end up with routes alongside roadways.
Hehe, I hear ya. I'll be looking alternative routing programs for this summer... do you have any recommendations?
At 4:16, what you call a mobility trike is just a normal (delta recumbent) trike and most people who ride those are not in need of a mobility aid. I think it is a Hase Kettwiesel. Those can be used for people with mobility issues but at the prices (I looked it up €5000 to €10000 new) those are not what the people in need of a trike get provided. Great rides by the way.
Copy that. Thanks so much for tuning in. I appreciate it. Cheers! John
Cycling between The Hague and Delft is the worst, I prefer to take the detour via the Vliet 😬
Yeah, we found more enjoyable routes to The Hague on subsequent trips. Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John
Can I see the original video somewhere, or is that not available?
It's not published publicly, and frankly, it's rough with several typos. And I wish I had backed off on the sped-up clips - In retrospect, I feel they are a little jarring.
But here it is without our reflections, just the video: czcams.com/video/aB0xZxuBbO0/video.html
Hope you enjoy it.
Cheers!
John
Red pavers do not necessarily mean that cyclists have priority. The Dutch simply prefer fired clay paving stones over concrete pavers or asphalt for slower streets.
They certainly are beautiful. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you enjoy some of the other videos on the Channel. Cheers! John
The pavers are not made red, they are just their natural colour, which is brown with a red hue. It doesn't mean anything.
I thought you would ride to Scheveningen but there you are in Kijkduin
You took the long road then from Delft....
Yeah, a few days later, when we rode back to Den Haag for the nighttime bike light parade, we took a much nicer, more pleasant route. Thank you so much for watching. Cheers! John
@20:44 The place where Jordan puts his thumb down, is called De Put (The Pit). Need I say more... 😕
Yeah, that was not super fun... we were relieved those conditions didn't persist for long. Thanks for watching. Cheers! John
@6.12 It is considered a bike lane when bike stencils are drawn in the lane and in this particular case there is. They are edge lane road when no stencils are painted. I think roads exist that have bike lane and work like edge lane roads but I am not sure.
It's a dotted line, which means cars can get into the bike lane.
Thanks! 🙏
Not that simple with that dotted line.
If there are white bikes painted in the lane, it is a bike lane, without them, it is a 'suggestion bike lane'
When you have a 'suggestion bike lane' you are supossed to stay out of it when not needed, however you are allowed into it to pass oncomming cars.
With the white painted bicycle painted in it, it is considered a bike lane. When there is a dotted line, you are allowed to go into the bike lane if, and only if, you take position to take a right turn. You can breefly stabd still there to yield to other traffic. In all other moments you are not allowed in this bike lane with your car.
When the line is constant you are not alowed in the bike lane at all.
Beware most of the dutch bike lanes are Red, however not all. Black sidelane with painted bicycle is still a bike lane. A lane wide enough to be a bike lane, but without the painted bycycle, is still a 'suggested bikelane'
@@LoekiNL Thanks for the additional detail Much appreciated. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
When you have your phone in your hand whyle cycling you can get a €140,- fine !
Yes. That's exactly correct. Thanks so much for watching. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John
I would never take that route personally. stick by rhe vliet all then way from delft to the hoornbrug in rijswijk. straight shot to HS station and the centre of town. but thats google for you
Yeah, we blew on that route! Did better on our return trip to The Hague on Nov 3rd, although I failed to film it. Just picked up capturing the bike lights parade. I'll be releasing that video this coming Wed. Thanks so much for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Steepest hill in the whole Netherlands? Its time to visit Nijmegen or Maasricht 😀
Hehe 🤣Yeah, that was definitely a "tongue-in-cheek" comment. We actually do end up visiting Nijmegen a few days later. Be on the watch for that video. Thanks so much for watching; I really appreciate it, and I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
You took the worst route imaginable! On my commute from Delft to The Hague (town hall) I only have 1 traffic light :)
Hehe 🤣 Not surprised.
Next time it's better to use the "knooppunten-route". It takes you away from the roads and directs you through the woods. Much more beautiful. You can make your "knooppunten-route" yourself.
Yes. We loved the more rural route through the trees on the way back. Also, a few days later, we took a much more comfortable route along the canal and tram line. Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
@@ActiveTownsThe route along the canal (both sides) are very nice to take from Delft to Den Haag, but also in Den Haag you took quite busy roads, so far I could see there were also possibilities to take more quiet parallel roads ( and they are mostly also quicker because no/less traffic lights). Maybe I can next time give you a route advice in Den Haag 😉
@@TourismKomodo Oh, yes, for sure. We rode the Den Haag a couple of times and took a couple of different routes. Thanks so much, that's quite kind. I hope you enjoy the Channel... I have many wandering bike rides out here, hehe. 😆 Cheers! John
that section when he put his thumb down , the pitt/vaillantlaan, is really horrendous for motorists too, a way too narrow turn for cars and bikes.
Yeah, did not look to be a pleasant place for anyone. Cheers! John
First of all thank you for creating great content and feedback on our country. But take in account that it is not all about infrastructure but it needs to be accompanied by legislation forcing car users to be very careful with pedestrians and bike riders. In our laws the car drivers bare always more responsibly over more fragile road users. If I, driving a car, would crash into a bike I will have a big problem even if I have right of way over the bike.
And all of us and our love ones are bike riders so there is more empathy between road users.
Yes! Absolutely great point. As I like to say, the "hardware," the built environment and infrastructure, has to be part of and complemented by the "software," the policies, laws, and programs - it has to be both, can't be just one versus the other. Thanks so much for watching and for your contribution to the conversation. Cheers! John
4:18 "a nice immobility trike over here" ..... not really. There's a group of cyclist that prefer reclining bikes. They're more comfortable, offer less wind resistance, and the use of the muscles is more efficient resulting in higher cruising speeds. The disadvantages are that in traffic they are less noticeable and thus - even in the Netherlands - more vulnerable and gives the rider less overview over the traffic situation. They come in both trike variants - i believe there are even some quads - and bicycle variants, of which the latter takes quite a lot of taking used to. I tried one out for a fortnight but never got comfortable with it..... it was fast though.
When living in Amsterdam I worked in Mijdrecht for about three years and cycled the 18 miles every day on my touring bike. Most days a reclining bike rumbled past me at pretty high speeds; it rumbled because of the streamlined body mounted on it which enveloped the rider from the neck down; he even got some kind of collar around his neck to keep out the rain although I don't know how he prevented getting wet from the wheel spray inside the body 😋.
I guess the reclining trike might be suitable for some people with limited mobility, but I found the mounting and dismounting of reclining bikes to require a modicum of physical prowess. There are however full height trikes developed for those with mobility limitations, some even with seats with backrests.
Yeah, I misidentified that trike, always a challenge with in-the-moment live recordings. Hehe 🤣 Thanks for watching. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John
Dont touch your phone while cycling with police nearby.
Yep.
You come back to haarlem cause your video on haarlem was a kind of crappy
Yeah, the little GoPro was not handling the low light so well that day. That is an excellent reason to have to go back. 😀 Thanks so much for watching. Cheers! John