The Netherlands' Model

*Google Maps offers a 'biking' layer that segregates bicycle routes into four different categories depending on the degree of 'bicycle friendliness'. Solid green lines for paved bicycle trails, solid black lines for dedicated bicycle lanes, dotted green lines for bicycle friendly roads, and dashed green lines for dirt or unpaved bicycle trails.  Solid green and solid black line routes are the safest for bicycling. Environmental friendly cities and countries can be identified by visualizing the density of such lines.  For comparison, we display below the biking layer (courtesy Google) for three different cities: Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Washington DC in the USA, and Gandhinagar in Gujarat, India. 

Identify the Most Bicycle Friendly City?

Benefits of Multimodal Streets (The Netherlands' Model)

Road fatalities (0.15 million/annum) or (1 in 10,000 population) in India is the highest in the world. If we, in India, wish to take important matters such as the quality of human life, or assign a higher value to  human life, we need to  start by studying the streets of other countries.  We believe that it would be a waste of energy to educate the public about following traffic discipline to reduce the fatalities. It would makes better sense to choose the correct model and approach the authorities and decision makers after an analysis, study,  debate and a pilot.   

India is currently following the US (private car) model, while the rest of the world (even US is beginning to) is following the Netherlands (public transport and bicycle) model with multimodal streets. 

Streets must be designed to serve different modes and provide multiple mobility options for its users.

Multimodal streets are streets that support multiple modes of transportation, such as walking, biking, public transit, and motorized vehicles. Multimodal streets are part of a multimodal transportation system, which is designed to be efficient and affordable, and to support the needs of all users. Multimodal streets offer people options for safe, attractive, and convenient travel by foot & bicycles, on transit, as well as in motorized vehicles. Multimodal streets help to make cities more efficient. A reduction of private cars on streets has a direct link to reduced production of greenhouse gases, related to climate change. This shift also helps in increasing space for commerce and public use, and contributes to a better quality of life and economic growth.

Multimodal transportation can include: 

• Public transit: A well-integrated public transit system that's easy to access

• Bicycle and pedestrian: Facilities that support walking and biking

• Micromobility: Modes like e-bikes and scooters

Multimodal streets are safe and accessible. Aside from the most obvious benefit of saving lives, there are many more direct and indirect benefits to multimodal transportation and multimodal streets: 

1. Saving Lives: Multimodal transportation results in fewer fatalities

2. Crash Reduction : Fewer collisions results in less cost, fewer injuries and again fewer fatalities

3. Increased sustainability: Fewer vehicle miles equates to a smaller carbon footprint. Multimodal transportation can reduce the environmental impact by reducing the number of private cars on the road. 

4. Livability : less asphalt and emissions and greater green space enhances the pleasantness of the public realm.

5. Improved quality of life: Multimodal transportation can improve quality of life by increasing space for commerce and public use. 

6. Equity – increased accessibility for lower income, differently abled, and otherwise marginalized populations to reach more opportunities.

7. Economic development – multimodal streets lead to greater foot traffic, higher business sales, and increased property values.

8. Public health – multimodal streets provide greater space for outdoor dining, games, recreation, and events to bring communities together.

9. Mobility – multimodal streets move more people than cars alone.

10. Improved efficiency: Multimodal transportation can improve efficiency by combining the strengths of different modes of transport. 

11. Reduced congestion: Multimodal transportation can reduce congestion by reducing the number of private cars on the road. 

12. Lower costs: Multimodal transportation can be more cost-effective than other modes of transportation. 

For more details on Multimodal streets and their benefits, click here.