{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Micromobility Podcast","title":"How the Netherlands Became the Cycling Capital of the World | Chris Bruntlett","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3958,"description":"The Netherlands has more bicycles than people, 40,000 kilometers of cycling infrastructure, and a cycling culture that has become the envy of cities around the world. But it wasn't always this way.\nIn this episode of The Micromobility Podcast (#268), Prabin Joel Jones sits down with Chris Bruntlett, International Relations Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, to explore how the Netherlands transformed itself from a car-centric country into the cycling capital of the world.\nChris explains how a road safety crisis in the 1970s sparked a transformation, why early cycling infrastructure projects failed, and how the Dutch discovered that building connected networks matters more than individual bike lanes.\nThe conversation also explores the rise of e-bikes, the controversy surrounding fat bikes, the challenges facing speed pedelecs, and why shared micromobility has struggled to gain traction in a country where almost everyone owns a bicycle.\nWe also discuss what American cities can learn from the Netherlands, including how Austin, Texas, has developed nearly 700 kilometers of cycling infrastructure inspired by Dutch design principles.\n\nIn this episode:\nHow the Netherlands became a cycling nation\nWhy building bike lanes alone doesn't increase cycling\nThe role of children and road safety in transforming Dutch streets\nThe health and economic benefits of cycling\nWhy Dutch households still own cars\nHow e-bikes are reshaping cycling infrastructure\nThe fat-bike controversy in the Netherlands\nWhy speed pedelecs haven't gained widespread adoption\nThe untapped potential of shared bikes and e-bikes\nHow Austin is applying Dutch cycling principles\nWhat policymakers can learn from 50 years of Dutch experience\nAbout Chris Bruntlett\nChris Bruntlett is the International Relations Manager at the Dutch Cycling Embassy, an organization supported by the Dutch government that helps cities worldwide learn from the Netherlands' experience in building safer, more accessible, and more...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/at7G3gxGDWglvTJ3FfhPtfaxPELHBPmCFC9m1Fl166c/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZjFh/Y2JhNjg4Mzg5MzJi/ZGJlMGFmNjA4ZjU4/NzMzOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}