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Dutch ambassador praises Greater Manchester's cycling ambitionsDutch ambassador to UK Simon Smits (R) with TfGM's Eamon Boylan (L) and Chris Boardman (C) (picture via TfGM)

Dutch ambassador praises Greater Manchester's cycling ambitions

Simon Smits says “the benefits of cycling are immense”
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, Jan 17, 2020 18:17
7

Simon Smits, the ambassador of the Netherlands to the UK, has praised Greater Manchester’s approach to making it easier and safer for people to get around the city-region on foot or by bike, saying that “the benefits of cycling are immense.” He has also offered to help make Dutch expertise available to fulfil those ambitions.

The diplomat met with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Cycling and Walking Commissioner Chris Boardman this week, as will as with local business leaders to find out their plans to transform transport across the area, including the Bee Network.

“The UK has huge ambitions when it comes to zero emission transport and so does the Netherlands,” he said.

“We invest a lot in the electrification of transport, both public and private, and in safe, comfortable and attractive cycling infrastructure.

“The benefits of cycling are immense: it improves people's health and it is a clean mode of transport - no air pollution and no use of fossil fuels.

“I am happy to bring organisations and businesses in the Greater Manchester area in contact with Dutch cycling experts.

“The Dutch are keen to share their knowledge and experience accumulated over decades of cycling to help improve the cycling infrastructure in this part of the UK.

“Dutch city planners and traffic experts have a wealth of expertise on encouraging cycling and making cities safer for cyclists, not just within cities but also between cities," he added.

Burnham has unveiled a five-year Our Network plan to create an integrated transport network covering all ten districts that make up Greater Manchester and which will include the 1,800-mile Bee Network that Boardman is leading.

“The Netherlands has without doubt set an example when it comes to creating cycle-friendly towns and cities, and today has been a chance for us to learn from the Dutch experience and share our own vision for an integrated transport network throughout Greater Manchester,” Burnham said.

“By 2025 we want to see 10 per cent of all journeys being made by bike, and we’re working to ensure that our city-region’s walking and cycle routes are as safe and accessible as possible for everyone who’s able to get out there.”

He added: “This isn’t just about switching from cars to bikes and cutting harmful emissions – it’s also about what we want our towns and cities to look like, and how we look after our public spaces. It’s a conversation that we need to be having, and Greater Manchester should be at the forefront.”

Boardman said: “The Dutch are known for their commitment to active travel and they boast some of the biggest cycling cities in the world.

“We know that truly normalising cycling and walking will take time; as well as infrastructure, a complete culture shift is needed, so having strong allies and insight from countries that have already seen success, is invaluable.

“The ambassador has offered key learnings that we can apply to our programme here in Manchester and has given really positive feedback on our plans and ambition which is very encouraging.”

Greater Manchester
Netherlands
Simon Smits
chris boardman
Andy Burnham
Bee Network
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

Avatar
Rome73 | 4 years ago
3 likes

'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results'

 

that's exactly what brexthick voters do. Vote for Eton alumni who blame a union of rich democratic nations for all their problems. A political group who created the chaos and the austerity then blame foreigners and claim they are the only ones who can solve the chaos they created. And the brexthick voter votes for it. Genius.  

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to Rome73 | 4 years ago
0 likes
Lukas wrote:

that's exactly what brexthick voters do. Vote for Eton alumni who blame a union of rich democratic nations for all their problems. A political group who created the chaos and the austerity then blame foreigners and claim they are the only ones who can solve the chaos they created. And the brexthick voter votes for it. Genius.  

What is the EU's position on austerity? Surely the benevolent EU wouldn't promote austerity? It's not like the UK deficit in 2010 was in direct breach of EU rules and we were required by EU law to reduce it? It certainly wasn't the case that the EU directly promoted austerity as the means to reduce the illegal deficit in both the UK and other EU countries. Or was it?

As for doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results; you called Leave voters thick in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

How's that working out so far?

Avatar
vonhelmet | 4 years ago
8 likes

The only way Brexit helps any of us in the north is if the Tories are scared to lose the votes of all the northerners who switched teams at the GE and so actually spend some money up here.

I'm not holding my breath.

Avatar
handlebarcam | 4 years ago
3 likes

This is exactly the sort of sharing of ideas with different European cultures which Brexit will stifle, much to the relief of people who despise the notion that there could be any alternatives to the traditional British political duopoly. It may start small, with Danish-style bike lanes and disgusting-sounding "Dutch Reach" initiatives. But after forty years of ignoring our neighbours because we're convinced our once-glorious empire made us better than them, that could've been the crack that opened the flood gates. Only Sir Nigel and Bulldog Boris have narrowly saved us from being infected with all kinds of horrific continental concepts. Things like state-run-but-self-funding railways (when everyone knows trains can only be operated by either communistic unions or price-gouging corporations who spend subsidies on painting the trains with their new logos), parliaments which reflect the broad spectrum of opinions in the population and force political parties to work together, royal families that either no longer exist or can marry whomever they like, and, worst of all, affordable high-quality dwellings built to cater to demand (rather than artificially-scarce and/or dilapidated housing stock whose main purpose is to enable older generations to retire early and live off the grossly inflated values.) I mean, how could corrupt right-wing demagogues rule, and divert money to their tax exile friends, or woke socialists remain ideologically pure by never getting into government, unless the only options are the ones we've been stuck with for as long as anyone can remember?

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to handlebarcam | 4 years ago
3 likes
handlebarcam wrote:

This is exactly the sort of sharing of ideas with different European cultures which Brexit will stifle, much to the relief of people who despise the notion that there could be any alternatives to the traditional British political duopoly. It may start small, with Danish-style bike lanes and disgusting-sounding "Dutch Reach" initiatives. But after forty years of ignoring our neighbours because we're convinced our once-glorious empire made us better than them, that could've been the crack that opened the flood gates. Only Sir Nigel and Bulldog Boris have narrowly saved us from being infected with all kinds of horrific continental concepts. Things like state-run-but-self-funding railways (when everyone knows trains can only be operated by either communistic unions or price-gouging corporations who spend subsidies on painting the trains with their new logos), parliaments which reflect the broad spectrum of opinions in the population and force political parties to work together, royal families that either no longer exist or can marry whomever they like, and, worst of all, affordable high-quality dwellings built to cater to demand (rather than artificially-scarce and/or dilapidated housing stock whose main purpose is to enable older generations to retire early and live off the grossly inflated values.) I mean, how could corrupt right-wing demagogues rule, and divert money to their tax exile friends, or woke socialists remain ideologically pure by never getting into government, unless the only options are the ones we've been stuck with for as long as anyone can remember?

We've been in the EU for 40 years yet haven't done any of those things but if we'd only stay in for a few years more they'd definitely happen?

'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results'

Avatar
Xenophon2 replied to Rich_cb | 4 years ago
5 likes

Rich_cb wrote:

  'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results'

Indeed, but I doubt that being in the EU was the reason none of the mentioned things happened and now that you're out I don't see them happening at all.  I know Boris is lying whenever I see his lips moving, it's already been that way since he was peddling articles and living in Brussels (or rather, in one particular pub).  The more earnest he looks and the closer his bully boy stands, the bigger the lie.  Glad I don't have to vote there, picking between the tories who only help the haves and the good old boys, the socialists who excel at shooting themselves in the head and the hand-wringing LibDems who seem to have (in my mind) the right idea but can't get anything done due to the election system would have been frustration to the n-th power.

 

Avatar
Rich_cb replied to Xenophon2 | 4 years ago
0 likes
Xenophon2 wrote:

Rich_cb wrote:

  'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results'

Indeed, but I doubt that being in the EU was the reason none of the mentioned things happened and now that you're out I don't see them happening at all.  I know Boris is lying whenever I see his lips moving, it's already been that way since he was peddling articles and living in Brussels (or rather, in one particular pub).  The more earnest he looks and the closer his bully boy stands, the bigger the lie.  Glad I don't have to vote there, picking between the tories who only help the haves and the good old boys, the socialists who excel at shooting themselves in the head and the hand-wringing LibDems who seem to have (in my mind) the right idea but can't get anything done due to the election system would have been frustration to the n-th power.

 

Exactly the same flawed logic in your post as the original.

Those things didn't happen in 40 years of EU membership but now we're out you don't think they ever will?

There have recently been a succession of announcements from UK cities detailing moves towards restricting car use and encouraging cycling, all of which are due to happen after we leave the EU.

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