15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
In the early 20th century, the Dutch had among the highest per capita use of bikes globally. By 1970, it was evident that motor deaths became a leading cause of death for young people, which led to a re-emergence of the importance of the bicycle in the Netherlands as a means for transport. Major campaigns began to pressure politicians to develop specific infrastructure that segregated cyclists from motor traffic.
This led to one of the first nation-wide master plans for cycling that focused on developing nation-wide bike routes and protected areas. The led to also dedicated bicycle garages, changing facilities, and parking areas throughout the country. The transformation and campaigns by Dutch activists to make cycling part of an integrated transport planning became the model where other countries have since tried to replicate, where now cycling is often seen as one of the best transport options or at least part of other options for short distances in urban regions and the countryside.<ref>For more on the Dutch cycling transformation, see: Norcliffe, G. B. (2015). <i>Critical geographies of cycling: history, political economy and culture</i>. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company. </ref>
== How did cycling become popular in the United States in the 1980s? ==
