An accident of history? How mopeds boosted Dutch cycling infrastructure (1950–1970)

This article argues that mopeds played an ambivalent but ultimately positive role in the long-term success of Dutch cycling. Unlike in many other countries, Dutch cycling levels dropped but remained significant throughout the 1950s and 1960s, partly because cycling infrastructure continued to be constructed. One underexplored factor explaining this is the role of mopeds in the 1950s. The Netherlands constructed a significant network of cycle paths before the 1950s. When mopeds became popular, the existence of this network raised the question of where they should ride. Engineers and politicians... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Dekker, Henk-Jan
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2021
Reihe/Periodikum: The Journal of Transport History ; volume 42, issue 3, page 420-443 ; ISSN 0022-5266 1759-3999
Verlag/Hrsg.: SAGE Publications
Schlagwörter: Transportation / Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) / History / Geography / Planning and Development
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-26669659
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
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Link(s) : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00225266211011935

This article argues that mopeds played an ambivalent but ultimately positive role in the long-term success of Dutch cycling. Unlike in many other countries, Dutch cycling levels dropped but remained significant throughout the 1950s and 1960s, partly because cycling infrastructure continued to be constructed. One underexplored factor explaining this is the role of mopeds in the 1950s. The Netherlands constructed a significant network of cycle paths before the 1950s. When mopeds became popular, the existence of this network raised the question of where they should ride. Engineers and politicians classified mopeds as bicycles, assigning them to the cycle path. As a result, engineers decided to build more and wider cycle paths. Despite the danger and discomfort of sharing cycling paths, cyclists therefore also benefited in the long run from the decision to reframe cycle paths as cycle-and-moped paths.