BIKE: Dutch cycling paths utopia?

[Jeff Thorne]

What follows is interesting commentary I pulled up doing a search on European
bike accident stats, largely because I was having another discussion about
efforts to get segregated facilities built for cycling off of the roads away
from automobile traffic.  "That's the only way bikes can be safe," my friend
said, citing something he'd read about how Dutch bike paths are great for
riding in the Netherlands.  My limited experience riding in Europe and the US
on such paths is otherwise, though I've never ridden the Dutch paths.  [I got
this from:  
http://www.myra-simon.com/bike/bike-saf.html  (scroll down a bit)
the authoress of which is plainly experienced and knowledgeable.]

Cycle paths in the Netherlands

So many cyclists feel that the Netherlands is a heaven for cyclists that
I must mention it here. My comments are based on having spent a few days
cycling in the area surrounding Eindhoven, from corresponding with Dutch
cyclists, and from reading (summaries of) studies of Dutch cycle
facilities. 

First, my own experience. I enjoyed greatly the cycle paths in the
Netherlands that weren't next to any roads. There are alot (sic) of
forests in that area, and it was a real pleasure to ride through them on
tracks entirely apart from cars. No noise, no pollution, heaven indeed!
However, I found the cycle paths next to roads to be an incredible
annoyance. In that part of the Netherlands, there isn't much traffic,
and I felt that the cycle paths were completely unnecessary. They were a
major pain however. Turning left (they ride on the right side of the
road) was a real hassle. If I wanted to turn left at an intersection
with lights, I had to wait through several changes of special traffic
lights for bikes to make the turn without leaving cycle paths. Even if
the light was green for cars. I would watch as the cars got into the
proper lane and made thier (sic) turns and I sat still, stopped by a red
cycle light. After some time and signal changes, I had finally made my
turn. This seemed a big waste of time and was very frustrating, since I
am perfectly capable of making a safe left turn riding on the road. 

Making a left turn when there are no signals are even worse. In the US
(another place where they ride on the right side) I'd start on the right
side of the road, and when there were no cars behind me, I'd signal left
and pull out into the middle of the road. There I would wait until there
was a break in the opposing traffic, and then I'd go. In the meantime,
cars would pass me on the right side. In the Netherlands you can't do
this. You must wait at the edge of the road until both sides are clear.
This can take a very long time... 

Second, correspondence with Dutch cyclists. Some of them love the cycle
paths. They like being separated from cars. Parents are particularly
attracted to them. However, people who like to ride in groups or even
somewhat faster than the usual slow Dutch cyclist utterly hate these
cycle paths, since they are mandatory. Yvonne van den Hork, a Dutch
randonneur, writes: 

I live in what I call 'bike-apartheid' country the Netherlands. Here
cyclists are obliged to use the bike paths. These are indeed dangerous.
Especially as the path is often uprooted by trees or broken tiles, which
prohibits fast riding. At night you get blinded by cars and of course,
lanes near hedges are very dangerous because of the cars coming out of
driveways. But what to do if you get harassed by cars if you are using
the safe way out and use the road? I've been driven into the verge on
purpose just because cycling on the road was not allowed, while it was
perfectly safe. People think I am crazy, but it is them. Paths are
designed with the safety of cars in mind, they don't have to deal with
those nasty cyclists any longer. And parents have a big say too. The
Dutch are furthermore so brainwashed that we are (and I was) made to
believe bike paths are safer. 

Third, safety. Let me quote from a survey of a Dutch study "Safety
effects of bicycle facilities". The summary is by John Franklin. 

In built-up areas cycle paths 25% safer than unsegregated road between
junctions, but 32% more dangerous at junctions. Cycle lanes 36% more
dangerous between junctions, 19% safer at junctions. Seriousness of
accidents greater if paths or lanes present compared with no facilities.
Cycle lanes narrower than 1.8m particularly hazardous. Outside towns,
cycle path safety depends on car and cycle numbers. New cross-town
routes in Den Haag and Tilburg had produced no safety gain and had not
encouraged much new cycling. 
 
Note that this study shows that cycle paths are quite a bit less safe
than unsegregated roads, since most accidents happen at junctions. Why
don't the carefully designed off-road cycle paths increase safety at
junctions? My interpretation is that this is the problem. The cycle
paths have priority over cars going to and from side roads. Once the
traffic gets above a certain level, it is beyond the capability of most
drivers to monitor both the traffic on the road surface, and the traffic
on the cycle paths. Mistakes are made, and accidents occur. The safest
place for bikes to be is on the road, where they can be easily seen by
drivers, along with the other traffic. 

Mind you, these results are from the Netherlands, where the cycle
facilities are about the best in the world. In particular, the cycle
paths are not shared with pedestrians, while almost all cycle paths in
the UK are shared with pedestrians. This makes UK cycle paths even more
dangerous than Dutch ones, as you are even more likely to get into an
accident (colliding with a pedestrian who suddenly changes course or
colliding with something else to avoid a pedestrian).

--Back to my own soap box:  note that she asserts that in the Netherlands
riding on the segregated paths is mandatory.  That's the problem; segregated
cycling paths can be a trojan horse for banning bikes from the streets and
even if there is not an outright ban, creates in the public mind a sense that
bikes don't belong in the streets with the rest of traffic.  Watch out for
"cycling advocacy" that works against your riding interests.  Same
roads/rights/rules, as they say.