Bicycle use general

A limited number of data on bicycle use in the Netherlands can be found in Cycling in the Netherlands. Less up to date but more extensive: Facts about cycling in the Netherlands (2001). At the national level new data on bicycle use are compiled annually on the basis of diaries, witness the website of Mobiliteitsonderzoek Nederland (MON).

The data on trends in bicycle use have been analysed regularly.  The latest broad analysis: Monitoring bicycle policies 1996-1999. Before that, the English version of the final report of Masterplan Fiets: The Dutch Bicycle Master Plan. The predominant impression of these analyses is one of stability. Bicycle use remains at least at the same level, despite circumstances that on their own would cause a decrease (Slight decrease bicycle use nice policy result!). A major factor in this respect are the ever lengthening and ever less cyclable distances in commuter traffic (We have not become more mobile). Motives for using or ignoring the bicycle are well known, but not easy to translate into policies (Why the car, why the bicycle?).

Gradually these analyses have provided increasingly stronger evidence  in favour of the efficacy of bicycle policies (Evidence in favour of efficacy bicycle policies) and Bicycle policies have mainly long-term effects (Fietsbeleid werkt vooral op de lange termijn), particularly thanks to the data that became available as a result of the Fietsbalans benchmarking by Fietsersbond (Good local policies huge incentive for bicycle use). This led to the development of an arithmetic module containing autonomous circumstances in addition to policy measures, which accounts to a large extent for the differences in bicycle use among various cities: Explanatory model for bicycle use. Highly enlightening about the type of bicycle use and bicycle policies in the Netherlands: Learning from the Dutch laboratory.