A Preventive Medicine study from 2015 looked into the active transport behaviours across four countries including Switzerland and the Netherlands. Switzerland was considered for it’s high levels of walking and the Netherlands for high levels of cycling (as shown in the data table).
- The Dutch cycle an average of 12 minutes a day.
- The Swiss have an average walking time of around 25 minutes a day.
The study found that if England and Wales adopted some of the active travel habits like Switzerland or the Netherlands, between 10,000 and 17,000 premature deaths associated with inactivity could be prevented.
Houten is famous for it’s bicycle infrastructure. In 1966 Houten created a master plan that prioritised the bicycle as the primary means of movement within city. Because of the city’s urban form people are encouraged to travel by bike and train (to employment opportunities in other cities).
The design also allowed for a highly accessible major railway station with ample bike parking. Cyclists and cars are segregated. Bicycle tracks connect the different districts of the town on the shortest routes, while cars have to go all the way out to the city ring road before they can go to another part of the city.
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