Netherlands residents increasingly biking to work

Netherlands residents cycled to work 17 percent more last year than in 2021, the Ministry of Infrastructure reported on Wednesday based on its annual National Travelers’ Survey. The number of bicycle rides to work increased by over 2 million per working week in 2022.

The survey found that commuters opted for bicycles for convenience and positive health effects. About a third of workers who use their bike for their commute said their employer played a role in that decision by making it easy. Four out of ten trips of up to 7.5 kilometers happened by bicycle last year.

The increased popularity of biking to work is “good news, both for our health and for traffic on the road,” State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen said. “Once again, employers appear to hold the key to making cycling attractive. Safe parking facilities, refreshments facilities at work, and a good kilometer allowance for bicycles. These measures work and pay for themselves twice over.”

Despite the increased popularity of biking to work, cars remain popular for commuting. The number of car trips to and from work increased by 4 million per work week (+14 percent) to only 1 percent below the pre-pandemic levels. Many motorists say they do not want to or cannot use alternatives like bicycles or public transport.

Despite this, rush hour traffic levels were still well below the pre-pandemic situation. Last year there were 20 percent fewer traffic jams than in 2019, the last full year before the coronavirus hit the Netherlands. “It is nice to see that many people have continued to work from home or are on the road outside rush hour,” said Minister Mark Harbers. “That is something to hold on to because outside rush hour, it is wonderful to drive. And every car outside rush hour cuts traffic jams during rush hour.”

Public transport commuters increased by almost 30 percent last year. According to the Ministry, this sharp increase is due to coronavirus restrictions disappearing last year. In 2021, there were long stretches of lockdown where people had to work from home. On average, people worked from home 1.1 days a week in 2022. That is lower than in 2021 but still more than before the coronavirus.