Getting Around in Amsterdam

While Steve and I were in Amsterdam (we traveled home all day today and will collapse into bed fairly soon), getting around was entirely on foot, in a relatively small part of the city; for trips to and from the airport, taxis come into play. But the residents' prominent use of bicycles is a pleasure for an environmentalist to see. (They also have a good public transportation system in the form of trams and buses.) There are bike lanes on all major streets, and bike racks and parking areas for bikes are ubiquitous. We knew this already, but it's quite a contrast to any American city we're familiar with, and impressive to see.

Sometimes it's hard to cross a street, there is such as steady stream of cyclists bearing down on you.

Many cyclists have crates affixed to the fronts of their bikes, some have pannier baskets at the back. Other creative solutions to getting people around with all their gear, children, dogs, or whatever else have included this cart, which can hold up to four (very small) people in seat belts, with additional room for bags of groceries, and it is pushed by the bicycle so the rider can keep an eye on the kiddies.

And Amsterdam has its cute little cars too. The middle one below, parked on the sidewalk, where really it doesn't take up enough room to bother anybody, is only half as long as the car it is next to.