Promoting bicycle use

High bicycle use, many infrastructural bicycle policies - and almost no bicycle promotion: the Dutch situation is often hard to fathom for foreigners. A good in-depth attempt at outlining the characteristics of the Dutch policy situation is: Learning from the Dutch laboratory.

In the Netherlands there is still an innate belief in the value of ‘concrete’ measures: (relative) speed, comfort and safety as incentives for bicycle use. The effects of promotional campaigns are often harder to demonstrate. And even nowadays there is little trust in the Netherlands in bicycle policies that emphasise the importance of promotion campaigns over infrastructure. However, attitudes are changing somewhat towards paying more attention to promotional activities: after all, this may be a useful addition to infrastructural measures - as well as being cost-effective. The more so since a clear ‘market’ can be distinguished, particularly among non-native inhabitants, of people with little or no cycling tradition. The major drawback is that the average Dutchman already has a very positive opinion about cycling: fun, fast, favourite transport modality for short distances. The main drawbacks (the weather, luggage, etc) are often quite ‘rational’. Various studies demonstrate this image, just recently Mobility in experience and image (Beleving en beeldvorming van Mobiliteit and before that Short trips. Added value of communication.

Promotional campaigns in the Netherlands have often focussed heavily on the issues of ‘safety’ and ‘children’: stimulating going to school by bike, partly by way of communicative measures (see School rush hour (De Schoolspits) and Auxiliaries for traffic working groups  (Hulptroepen voor verkeerswerkgroepen). Flemish bicycle-promotional campaigns (‘Sensitizing’ the Flemish towards cycling (Vlamingen de fiets op ‘sensibiliseren’)) have generated quite a lot of publicity in the Netherlands  and by now even some imitation: following the example of Breukelen (Breukelen employs Flemish promotion campaign) several towns have adopted the campaign ‘Met belgerinkel naar de winkel’ (cycling to the shops). Local bicycle plans have been demonstrating a growing emphasis on communication and promotion in recent years, as exemplified by (Bicycle plan Tilburg) and Delft (Delft festively wraps its bicycle policies).