Video of Bicycle-Friendly Utrecht Netherlands

Take a relaxing break as we enter the busy holiday season with this refreshing almost bicycle-only morning "rush-hour" scene in the Netherlands. It's a long video at 10 minutes, but even if you only watch for 30 seconds I think you'll enjoy the calm and quiet that is pedal-powered traffic.

Watching it I assumed this intersection was always this way and was amazed when I clicked the link at the top and viewed part 2 where the author gives the history of this intersection in Utrecht and how the Dutch had to reclaim the land and make massive changes - even digging out a filled-in riverbed - to restore this city center to what it is today.

It gives me hope that we can keep making changes to our cities that result in more of them offering something like this someday. I would love to see our downtown Santa Cruz, where it's relatively flat and some bike paths already exist, become more bike/ped friendly with reduced and controlled cars and trucks and priority given to people rather than vehicles. Significantly reducing speed limits, downsizing car lane widths to create more bicycle space on the shoulder, not inconveniencing bikes/peds at lights with long delays, and making Pacific Avenue car-free would be a great start.

Have a happy Thanksgiving,
Jim
Here's a link to the video in case it doesn't display for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nfOPcwObls