SUNNY SIDE UP
	A Peace Newsletter feature reporting on our successes and victories. Submissions are encouraged: pnl@peacecouncil.net

Bicycles for Sustainable City Living

Amsterdam in the Netherlands has budgeted $125 million to

Photo: www.duffergeek.com

entice and keep its citizens riding bicycles over the next five years. One of the aims of the four-year plan is that by 2010, 37% of Amsterdam residents will use a bike for local urban trips.

Over the last 20 years, the number of cyclists severely injured in Amsterdam decreased by 35% while bicycle use increased 20%. To be successful, says the city, bicycles must be made a high priority and amenities must be made to make bicycle commuting convenient, safe and quick. This will involve increasing bicycle traffic flow and bike safety.

The new policies also aim to reduce bike theft. Every year, about 75,000 bikes are stolen in Amsterdam. In the wake of recent anti-theft campaigns, including better bicycle parking facilities and greater penalties for theft, only one out of ten bicycles gets stolen each year, instead of one out of five. The target for 2010 is one out of 15. (www.carbusters.org)