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Dutch Cycling Embassy

@cycling_embassy

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The Dutch Cycling Embassy (DCE) supports cities and regions worldwide in making cycling a natural part of daily life.

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Paris is showing how to make cities healthier and more child-friendly.

More than 300 school streets are now car-free and give space to trees, play, and safe walking/cycling. The aim goes far beyond traffic safety: cleaner air, less noise, and more independence for children. Before and after: school street Paris by @cycling_embassy

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10 hours ago

A retrofitted Dutch style roundabout in Ireland? 🇮🇪 Yes, you heard that right!

Ireland’s first retrofitted Dutch-style roundabout is now open on Templeville Road in Dublin, replacing unprotected painted lanes at a known collision hotspot with single-lane entries, zebra crossings and parallel cycle-priority crossings on raised platforms.

Great job South Dublin County Council , this is how change is encouraged! 🚲 by @cycling_embassy

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🚲 What are the world's best cycling cities?

Every two years, the Copenhagenize Index ranks 100 cities around the world based on how well they create the conditions for cycling to be safe, convenient and a normal part of everyday mobility.
Let's look back at the 2025 index, which saw Utrecht, Copenaghen and Ghent on the podium 🇳🇱🇩🇰🇧🇪
The index analyses 13 indicators, covered within three areas:
🔹 Safe & Connected Infrastructure
🔹 Usage & Reach
🔹 Policy & Support
The top 30 cities share important commonalities: consistent investment in cycling, connected infrastructure, attention to slower and safer streets, accessible and wide spread bike parking infrastructure , political commitment and long-term planning.
However, what emerges the most from this ranking is that there is no such thing as a one-size-fit-all formula for a cycling city. Utrecht, Montréal, Helsinki or Bologna: different cities, with different climates, sizes and urban histories ; yet, they make cycling work through precise choices.

📊 https://copenhagenizeindex.eu by @cycling_embassy

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2 days ago

5 PM on a random weekday in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
As people leave their offices, cycle lanes get more and more crowded, now imagine, what if this was car traffic? by @cycling_embassy

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3 days ago

A cycle highway (doorfietsroute in Dutch) is a high-quality bike route designed for comfort and speed. It's meant to connect towns and cities efficiently, without gaps or stops along the path, this makes it easier to cover short and long distances without a car.

What this means in practice? Wide, smooth cycling paths; soft bends, few instances , clear signposts and excellent lighting.

The F225, connecting Utrecht Science Park and Veenendaal, is about 33 km long and mostly follows the N225 via Driebergen, Doorn, Leersum and Amerongen. It is currently being renovated: existing paths are being widened, resurfaced with asphalt or concrete, and linked up, with new bike streets added along the way.

Part of the route follows the old Via Regia, a trade road between Utrecht and Cologne that is over a thousand years old. Construction started in 2024, and most of the route should be finished by the end of 2026.

What a fantastic work, province Utrecht ! by @cycling_embassy

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𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙸𝙲𝙱𝙵 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗!

➔➔➔➔ Info
Tickets ➔
Visitor info ➔
Exhibitor List ➔
Programme ➔
➔➔➔➔ It's all in the link in our bio

#DecadeoftheCargoBike taken in Jaarbeurs, Utrecht by @cycling_embassy

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5 days ago

🚲 How to design a cycling tunnel like the Dutch!

A new tunnel in Breda replaced what used to be a T-junction where cyclists had priority, but as traffic grew, drivers struggled to yield and cyclists started feeling unsafe.

To fix the problem, a tunnel was created under a new roundabout, separating cyclists from vehicle traffic, here are some interesting details:

→ The roundabout was raised rather than the tunnel dug deep, in this way, the lowest point of the tunnel sits only about 2 metres below ground, a smart trade-off keeping the whole project simpler to build.
→ The tunnel walls curve open rather than closing in, and a gap between the two carriageways above lets daylight flood the middle of the tunnel, this boosts the sense of social safety.
→ Dutch design standards mandate 50cm of clearance between the cycleway and any vertical surface, so cyclists do not have to worry about clipping a handlebar on a wall.
→ Existing ditches and ponds around the site were integrated right into the design
→ A small wildlife tunnel connects the surrounding green spaces, so mice and amphibians can still cross safely
→ The city of Breda expects this redesign to cut cyclist accidents by up to 80%.

This is a great example of people-centered infrastructure, every layer of the design (safety, visibility, comfort, ecology) was taken into account and thought through.

If you want to read more about this tunnel, read the article by @bicycledutchnl : https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/cycle-tunnel-replaces-a-level-crossing-in-breda/ by @cycling_embassy

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Cycle commuters are less likely to receive prescriptions for antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication 🚲🧠

On World's mental health day, we want to celebrate the impact of cycling on mental health. Various studies and research have been done on the positive effects of active mobility on mental well-being, with one of the most impressive conducted in Scotland in 2024, using data from more than 378,000 people aged 16–74 in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The researchers found that:

🚲 9% of people who cycled to work had received a prescription for an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication, compared with 14% of non-cyclists.
🚲 Using an instrumental-variable approach, the researchers estimated that cycle commuting was associated with a 15.1% lower probability of receiving a prescription for antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication over the following five years.

But why does cycling have such an impact on our mental wellbeing? Cycling combines physical activity with an active journey, providing benefits associated with exercise, spending time outdoors and reducing sedentary travel.

This specific study adds to growing evidence that our everyday mobility choices can be connected to how we feel in our everyday life.

This is a reminder that creating environments where people can choose active modes of transport does not just benefit traffic flows or mobility choices, but also mental and physical wellbeing!

Source: Berrie et al. (2024), Does cycle commuting reduce the risk of mental ill-health? An instrumental variable analysis using distance to nearest cycle path, International Journal of Epidemiology.
🔗 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10859133/ by @cycling_embassy

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6 days ago

Here we are with another transformation in Den Haag!

From a car-oriented boulevard, to a narrower space for cars, wide bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly paving and more greenery!

This is how you build people-centred cities!

© Gemeente Den Haag by @cycling_embassy

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7 days ago

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙞𝙨 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙶𝙾 𝙱𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝙵𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙰𝙻?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻?
With humble beginnings in 2012, the International Cargo Bike Festival (ICBF) has grown into an annual event: the place where the cargo bike world comes together.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
The 2026 show takes place in Utrecht, the Netherlands, on 12-13 Oct.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿?
While the ICBF is aimed at professionals, anyone with an interest in cargo bikes is welcome.

Expect professionals from the cycling, logistics and fleet management industries, and from a range of other sectors, such as facilities. Government and the voluntary sector are also represented, as are investors, designers and more.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁?
There's an expo with cargo bike builders, as well as those representing all aspects of the cargo bike industry.

Cargo bikes, trikes and quads, software, services, components. From scrappy startups to slick established players and everything in between.

And don't forget the test track.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲?
There's also a jam-packed on-stage programme of speakers, panels and workshops covering diverse topics relating to cargo bikes and cycle logistics.
Plus, rapid-fire pitch sessions from exhibitors and insightful industry side-events.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴?
This is what the ICBF is all about. Getting everyone under one roof. Creating the conditions where people can have quality conversations that lead to real-life collaborations.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹?
At the core of everything we do is our strong belief in the benefits that cargo bikes bring. To health. To the environment. To our cities.

The global potential is gigantic. We work hard to connect and inspire people, as well as advocating for the cargo bike wherever that potential can be realised.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽?
It's free to visit the ICBF. Register for your ticket in advance and you'll be invited to Conversation Starter.

Need more info? Click on these links in our bio:
➔ Your visit
➔ Programme
➔ Exhibitor list

See you in Utrecht!

#DecadeoftheCargoBike taken in Jaarbeurs, Utrecht by @cycling_embassy

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8 days ago

Creating safe parking spaces is one of the first steps to incentivising cycling, especially in larger cities like Dublin. This is why Dublin City Council is rolling out its BikeBunkers programme, placing secure on-street parking on residential streets. The programme is delivered in partnership with Bleeper and Dutch manufacturer Fietshangar.

For many residents in terraced homes and apartments, having nowhere safe to keep a bike is a real barrier to cycling. A BikeBunker removes that barrier using the space of a single car parking bay, an easy measure any city can adopt to get more people cycling every day. by @cycling_embassy

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8 days ago

🚲 From Osaka to Utrecht: exploring people-centred streets 🇯🇵 🇳🇱

From the 30th September to the 2nd of October, we welcomed a delegation of civil servants, academics and business leaders from Osaka for an intensive study visit to the Netherlands.
The focus was on how cycling can fit into a wider approach to urban mobility and public space, and what that could mean for the future of Osaka's Midosuji Boulevard, which is undergoing a transformation from a vehicle-oriented arterial into a people-centred street.
The programme took the group across three Dutch cities:
📍 The Hague: An exchange at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and a study visit to the grote marktstraat with Aiko Dokter and Hidde van der Bijl.
📍 Utrecht: meetings with mobility stakeholders and the Municipality, plus a first-hand experience of the city's streets, public spaces and cycling infrastructure
📍 Rotterdam: a walking tour and exchange with the Municipality on how the city is reshaping its streets
The Osaka delegation is on its way to visit other European cities, to collect, compare and adapt different best practices.

Thank you to our partners who accompanied us along this insightful study visit: Gemeente Den Haag, Gemeente Utrecht, Gemeente Rotterdam, Provincie Utrecht, Movares and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

Read more about the visit on our website! by @cycling_embassy

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