The rise of the 'strange' bicycle
When the first vélocipèdes (those tall, wobbly bicycles with a gigantic front wheel) appeared in the second half of the 19th century, they were seen more as a toy for wealthy gentlemen than as a serious means of transport. Only in the 1880s and 1890s, with the arrival of the modern bicycle with pneumatic tyres and chain drive, did the ordinary Amsterdammer slowly begin to warm to the idea. Yet the streets were still not at all designed for cyclists. On the contrary: in many parts of the city centre the bicycle was kept out, mainly because it was a nuisance to pedestrians.
The bicycle squeezed out
Around 1900 the bicycle really began to gain popularity, but its advance was soon hampered by... the car. From the 1930s into the 1960s, Amsterdam's traffic policy revolved almost entirely around accommodating motorised traffic. Cyclists had an increasingly hard time. In the 1950s there was serious talk of 'clearing' bicycles out of the city centre. There were plans to scrap cycle paths, limit bicycle parking and give cars all the space they wanted.
And yes, there were even explicit cycling bans. Cycling in the Leidsestraat, for instance, was not allowed during busy hours. In some parts of the city there were signs reading 'Verboden voor rijwielen' (No bicycles). That feels absurd now, but it was the reality of the post-war urge to modernise.
Provos, protest and the white bicycle
In the 1960s the tide began to turn, partly thanks to the actions of the Provo movement. Their 'Witte Fietsenplan' (White Bicycle Plan) of 1965 was an attempt to put free white bicycles around the city for collective use. The plan quickly foundered, but it did set something in motion. It was the beginning of thinking about alternatives to the car.
In the 1970s even bigger protests followed, such as the 'Stop de Kindermoord' (Stop the Child Murder) movement, which highlighted the dangers of car traffic for children. This social pressure eventually led to a change in policy.
The bicycle rises again
From the 1980s onwards, the bicycle could breathe again. The city council began building separate cycle paths, and cycling bottlenecks were tackled. The realisation grew: Amsterdam is not a car city, but a cycling city through and through. The renewed appreciation of the bicycle also fitted into a broader trend of environmental awareness and liveability. Car traffic, by contrast, was curbed, especially in the centre.
And now?
Today there are more bicycles than residents in Amsterdam. The city has more than 500 kilometres of cycle paths, and the bicycle is the fastest and most widely used means of transport. What once began as something 'annoying' is now the very symbol of the city.
