National

National authorities played a very dominant part in bicycle policy in the period of the Bicyle MasterPlan project (The Dutch Bicycle Master Plan), but at present a more distant, facilitating attitude prevails. Less intense in terms of visibility and control, but as intense in terms of funding, see Cycling in the Netherlands. This loosening of controls is in general accepted without any problem, even in the world of cycling. This is thanks to the conviction that lower levels of government in general demonstrate mature bicycle policies that no longer require national control. When surveying national cycling policies it might appear nothing much happens anymore in the Netherlands (National cycling policies Europe (Nationaal fietsbeleid Europa)); but in actual practice it is simply no longer under strong state control.

The national government only intervenes in cases where lower levels of government fall short. First of all development and diffusion of knowledge, the purpose for the establishment of: Evaluation Fietsberaad. In addition a wide range of items that are more or less inherent to the national government, amongst these at the moment long-distance tourist bicycle routes (Use of national bicycle routes), bicycle parking facilities at train stations (Room for the bicycle (Ruimte voor de fiets): a problematical success), central registration of stolen bicycles (Action plan tackling bicycle theft (Actieplan aanpak fietsendiefstal)), as well as new legal issues such as air quality requirements (Air Quality Resolution: incentive for cycling policy?)