Around 350,000 more people commuting on bicycle due to more bike paths

The construction of bike paths in the Netherlands has resulted in approximately 350,000 more people cycling to work, according to the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB). According to the government’s key advisor, one in four commuters cycles to work. Without the extra bike paths, only one in five would do so.

CPB researchers specifically looked at bike paths along busy roads with a clear separation between the road and the bike path. In a model analysis, they compared the current situation with a scenario without the bike paths.

One of the conclusions from the study is that although bike paths often replace lanes, the number of car traffic jams does not increase. The researchers believe that this is because commuters switch from cars to bicycles in the long term. This shift compensates for the loss of road space for cars.

It also emerged that the arrival of bike paths has consequences for where people live and work in the Netherlands in the long term. “Cyclists have to make fewer detours through residential areas, for example, which shortens their travel times. More commuters, therefore, take their bikes instead of their cars and live closer to their work.”

The researchers believe that the further rise of electric bicycles can lead to even more cycling commuters. Such bicycles are generally faster than traditional bicycles. “This can lead to even more bicycle use and shorter travel distances, especially in cities.”