The city of Amsterdam has released a time-lapse video showing the interaction between pedestrians and people on bicycles and motor scooters in a recently introduced shared space at the city’s bustling central train station.
It’s an arresting site as the station’s users, whether on two wheels or two legs – or four, in the case of the dog towards the end – dance around each other, with the time lapse film exaggerating the speed somewhat.
Used by more than a quarter of a million people a day, Amsterdam Centraal is undergoing extensive redevelopment ahead of the opening of a new metro line next year.
In November, the shared space shown in the video – shot one morning rush hour the following month – was opened by the ferry terminal on the north side of the station, and links to other routes including the bicycle and pedestrian tunnel under the station.
According to the city authorities, the space, which has no traffic lights, pedestrian crossing or road markings, “seems to work well,” with people “slowing down and looking out for each other.”
Cameras have been deployed there as part of a traffic study that will assess whether the shared space is working – and judging by the video, it certainly seems that it is.
It’s reminiscent of a video we highlighted in October showing a steady stream of bicycles in the morning rush hour in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
> Video: Mesmerising time lapse of Copenhagen’s bicycle rush hour
-1024x680.jpg "“Clear anti-cyclist bias”: Lawsuit filed against Toronto police after cop doored cyclist… before ticketing rider over incident")
11 thoughts on “Video: Rush hour time-lapse at Amsterdam station’s new shared space”
European countries must have
European countries must have a good laugh at the UK every time one of our cities looks to ban cyclists from pedestrianised zones on safety grounds
What the article doesn’t say
What the article doesn’t say is that there is also a growing movement in many Dutch cities, including liberal Amsterdam, to have the ‘scooters’ in the video removed from the cycleways due to their inability to curb their speed around other users, ignore basic rules plus the polution they cause because a lot of them are 2-stroke. I know this as I cycle this route off the ferry in the picture and there are plenty of accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians around the city, a majority are of the tourist variety I admit, but there are still plenty. What this also doesn’t show is the riders who regularly jump red lights, use the pedestrian crossing as that will go green quicker and whole heap of other things. Depsite the use of cycleways and cycle lanes driving in Dutch cities is not easy due to the way a lot of , not all, cyclists insist they have the right of way despite commiting those acts of stupidity. The smaller engined scooters can be ridden by 16 year olds who for the most part leave their braincell at home along with the helmet they are not obliged to wear either, yet ride them as if there is a game console reset button on the side of it. You can stand on any main corner of most roads here in Amsterdam and see for it all yourself.
Not a fan, either on a bike
Not a fan, either on a bike or on foot. The size and speed of the things involved may mean the potential for serious injury is low, but that doesn’t make it a good solution.
I use busy shared-use paths every day, and it is stressful. I need to be twice as alert as on the road, because the movements involved are a lot more unpredictable (though, as mentioned above, very much less dangerous).
Part of encouraging active travel is making it a pleasant way to do a journey, not an obstacle course.
This is the north side of the
This is the north side of the station full of locals at rush-hour. Stand on the Damrak side of the station during the rest of the day and within five minutes you’ll see a tourist get hit by something.
Check out this live cam for a better view of how Amsterdam traffic interacts. It’s a pretty daunting junction when you’ve spent an afternoon in the Greenhouse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5N-OM9RT8o
That’s just nuts!
That’s just nuts!
Incidentally, the only person I spotted wearing a helmet was this guy – comes into view at 1:55, lower left corner. Good use of proper reflective clothing too. Nice to see someone taking the proper precautions.
// waits….
neildmoss wrote:
Tourist.
bikebot wrote:
neildmoss wrote:
hilarious, you’re and a lot of other people from other countries just so obsessed with safety. In fact he number of accidents per mile are lower then accidents with cars. I guess you are riding with a helmet in your car too? Please do not compare the situation of your country with the Netherlands, it differs light years. Also do please not compare the way you are riding a bike (with high speed) with the speed of Dutch bikers when using it for daily purpose. In fact people riding road racers do wear helmets in the Netherlands. Ask your self why that is and why biking is so popular in my country and not in your country where in fact you on your bike are seen as a weirdo
arnolds wrote:
^H
arnolds wrote:
I assume it’s a second language thing. The poster was having a laugh. 😉
samuri wrote:
Reminds me of an article a few years ago about Dutch people with excellent English who couldn’t understand what the British were saying. It’s quite amusing…
http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2011/05/euphemistically_speaking