Amsterdam starts experiment with allowing fast cyclists on public roads

Amsterdam is experimenting with letting fast cyclists use the roadway to see if it will increase safety on the bike path. From April 18 to July 19, cyclists who want to can use the road on Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat and Bilderijkstraat.

Letting cyclists use the road was the winning idea of the Bicycle Innovation Lab 2022 on how to deal with the different speeds on the bike paths. Cyclists who want to cycle faster than 20 kilometers per hour can join car traffic on these two streets, where a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour applies.

It is not mandatory. Fast cyclists who feel unsafe on the road can stay on the bike path. The city placed markings and traffic signs to clearly show where cyclists can enter and exit the road.

The Amsterdam bike paths are getting more crowded, and the speed differences between cyclists are increasing due to the growing popularity of e-bikes. That puts pressure on the bike paths’ safety. Half of the victims of traffic accidents serious enough to need an ambulance are cyclists, the city said.

“I hear of more and more Amsterdammers, young and old, who no longer dare to cycle in the city. I don't want that to happen,” traffic alderman Melanie van der Horst said. “We have previously successfully moved scooter riders to the road, making the cycle path quieter. But due to the rapid rise of various electric bicycles, it is now necessary again to make room on the cycle path for people who ride slower.”

The city moved scooter riders to the road in 2019. An evaluation of that measure showed that it improved road safety, traffic flow, and traffic jams on the cycle paths. The number of accidents involving scooters also decreased significantly, the city said.