Could this be real? It’s a bike path above the traffic.
Well, why not? If Minneapolis can build a complex system of second-floor skyways that allowed me to walk to work without a coat in deep winter 1997, why not?
Ben Schiller at FastCoExist explains.
“In most cities, cycling infrastructure isn’t much more than a few dotted lines on the road. But that’s not how it is in the Netherlands, one of the world’s most cycle-friendly nations. Dutch cities have dedicated lanes that separate cars and bikes, making cycling an activity for young and old, female and male–not just the adventurous few.
“A good example is [an] elegant circular bridge in Eindhoven, in southern Holland. Called the Hovenring, it lets cyclists completely avoid other road users and cross the busy A2 highway with minimal fuss. It also makes for better road flow, according to Gerhard Nijenhuis, an employee at IPV Delft, the firm that designed it.” Read more.
Photo: FastCoExist
In the Netherlands, bikers ride on top of this rotary.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Seriously, you survived winter in Minneapolis? Not many people have ever lived there long enough to survive a winter… (and few know about that clever skyway system…) We really have too much in common.
Minnesota/ theTwin Cities/ that’s MY home! We’re seriously going to have to make an effort to get together. After the new year (holiday season is such a rush and I’m a wimp; I’ll have to plan ahead, let’s make a date for after the rush).
I’m thinking of visiting the Gardner Museum on my birthday, end of January (yeah, I love a bargain and they’ll let me in for free on my birthday). Maybe we can do lunch or something… ?
Sure. I haven’t been to the Gardner in ages, and I just read The Art Forger, so I’m up for it. You could e-mail more to suzannesmom@lunaandstella.com.
I just read The Art Forger, too!
I’ll email you with my January birthday date.
Great.
More great news on planet earth. Hurrah for the Netherlands and their bike-inclusive culture!
Boston has a way to go before it matches the Netherlands. I fear for the folks who try to navigate from Bosotn’s North Station to South Station renting Hubway bikes. (Although I have to admit, I don’t like them using the Greenway — without bike markings, it’s the Wild West there.
Leave it to the Dutch to come up with a great way to keep bikers safe! I went on a bike tour in the Netherlands and couldn’t believe how different it felt to ride a bike there than here in the States!
I bet it’s quite flat, too. That’s the kind of biking I like. Nowadays I don’t bike because the main places I might go are too hilly.