Formal fietsstraten are only one way Amsterdam has prioritized pedestrians, bikes, and public transport since 2020. They also employ a number of variations on the classic bike street, examples of which I present below. These are not in obscure corners of the city, but are major roadways that not long ago would have been filled with cars. Most of the principle arteries in to the city center (the canal belt) have been switched to some version of bike street. Remarkably, this shift has taken only five years (if there is still much to be done), evidence that such change can take place rapidly with political will.
The Spui is not a classic fietsstraat, but rather has wide bike lanes flanking tram tracks, and cars and trams share the tracks. As Amsterdam has been expanding fietsstraten, it has been flexible in their application. Some as classic fietsstraten and some are variations, such as this, which still give priority to bikes.
Read MoreThe intersection at Elandsgracht and Marnixstraat uses almost no signage to manage pedestrians, bikes, trams, buses, cars.
Read MoreThe same street may have sections that are a fietsstraat and sections that have bike paths and trams and cars sharing a middle lane/tracks. Here is a transitions point from fietsstraat (cars and bikes sharing lane) to wide bike lanes (taking about 1/2 the carriageway) and a middle section with tram tracks that cars are diverted onto.
Read MoreNieuweszijds Voorburgwal is in the city center, winding behind the royal palace and Dam Square. It was a fairly busy car street before the pandemic, but it has been converted to give priority to bikes and trams.
Read MoreVijzelstraat is one of the main arteries through the canal zone. It was not that long ago primarily a vehicle street, and you can still see the traffic here, but the number of autos is radically reduced.
Read MoreLijnbaansgracht and Marnixstraat with bike paths and a central tram + vehicles carriageway, directly in front of the Amsterdam Police Headquarters
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