In an effort to make the streets of Amsterdam, commonly regarded as the preeminent bike city, even more bike-friendly, the city is timing traffic lights along the Raadhuisstraat to better suit the speed of bike commuters. Traffic engineers will program the lights so that a cyclist traveling between 15 and 18 kph (about 10 or 11 mph) will breeze right through intersections, hitting green lights all the way.
The ideal target speed is still the subject of debate and cycling organization Fietsersbond is trying to find the sweet spot that will best accommodate bikes, public transportation, and motorists. Make the necessary speed too fast and cyclists get caught at lights. Too slow, and motorists are continually braking at stop lights, accelerating back up to speed, and wasting gas and dumping out extra pollution.
Raadhuisstraat will serve as Amsterdam’s initial trial for the green wave program, and may be the model for other routes in the future. Copenhagen has worked with a similar program which increased the average speed of both cyclists and automobiles, but had a negative effect on the speed of buses.
Video from Odense, Denmark shows a cool system that regulates a rider’s ideal speed:
There are many approaches to the issue of handling city traffic. Cities such as Bohtme, Germany, inspired by the Shared Space movement, have done away with traffic lights, sidewalks, and most street signs all together in an attempt to make the streets safer and less car-dominated. I’m not sure what the best approach is, but it’s great to see modern street design increasingly accommodating cyclists and pedestrians, and valuing a sense of community rather than sacrificing it all to cars.
See also: Bikes in Cities, Amsterdam Style.
Via News from Amsterdam.
Photo via flickr by Meepocity.
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I watched a similar situation in an international movie. Some kids played a prank on this old guy by hooking up fire crackers to his seat post or something. Pretty funny…
I feel terrible for laughing out loud about this… Poor man!