Cycle lanes increase vehicle congestion?

[slowmotion]

The Netherlands is often held up as a fine example of cycling infrastructure and it certainly works there (for the locals). The thing is that the Dutch put the infrastructure in place before the mass popularisation of the motor car and built their cycle paths accordingly. The UK doesn't have that luxury. We have roads in cities and towns and suburbs that are car-centric, and were designed to be that way. Laying the Netherlands template on the UK is never going to be a starter.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of inner urban cycle paths. If useful, they tend to be hopelessly crowded....routes where fearless Strava warriors strut their stuff, and people wobble out. Nothing wrong with wobbling BTW. I've spent a while on the insanely crowded cycle paths of Amsterdam and found them absolutely terrifying. Give me London traffic any day, Hyde Park Corner included. It's exhilarating and fun.

 

[sheddy]

That may be true of the bombed areas like Rotterdam but the Dutch govt embraced the private car just like the UK. It took serious public campaigning to change policy.
http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2011/01/stop-child-murder.html?m=1

 

[All uphill]

The Netherlands is often held up as a fine example of cycling infrastructure and it certainly works there (for the locals). The thing is that the Dutch put the infrastructure in place before the mass popularisation of the motor car and built their cycle paths accordingly. The UK doesn't have that luxury. We have roads in cities and towns and suburbs that are car-centric, and were designed to be that way. Laying the Netherlands template on the UK is never going to be a starter.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of inner urban cycle paths. If useful, they tend to be hopelessly crowded....routes where fearless Strava warriors strut their stuff, and people wobble out. Nothing wrong with wobbling BTW. I've spent a while on the insanely crowded cycle paths of Amsterdam and found them absolutely terrifying. Give me London traffic any day, Hyde Park Corner included. It's exhilarating and fun.

That's not my experience (cycle paths being put in place before mass car usage in NL)

I lived in a medieval city ( Groningen) which was butchered to make space for cars, with canals being filled "gedempt"for example. Very little provision for cyclists until the 1980s.

Also anyone who thinks NL is ideal for cycling hasn't experienced a headwind there! Out of the built up areas there is b*gg*r all shelter!

 

[slowmotion]

That's not my experience (cycle paths being put in place before mass car usage in NL)

I lived in a medieval city ( Groningen) which was butchered to make space for cars, with canals being filled "gedempt"for example. Very little provision for cyclists until the 1980s.

Also anyone who thinks NL is ideal for cycling hasn't experienced a headwind there! Out of the built up areas there is b*gg*r all shelter!

I've been up the LF1 half a dozen times from The Hook to Zandvoort and battled a head wind all the way each time. The relief of eventually turning right towards Amsterdam is quite fantastic.