Study Visit from Jersey, Channel Islands

On the 5th and 6th of June, the Dutch Cycling Embassy received a small delegation from Jersey, Channel Islands. The study visit was focused on knowledge exchange between Jersey and the Netherlands. This was accomplished by engaging in conversations with a wide range of stakeholders and, of course, firsthand experiences of walking and cycling on the streets themselves.

The study visit started off in the bicycle capital of the world, Zwolle. Here, Dick van Veen (Dickvanveen) and Brett Petzer (Mobycon) initiated the first part of the study visit, emphasizing the historical developments in the Netherlands along with the introduction of the five design principles.

During the discussion, a diverse range of topics were explored, including the notion that “Cyclists are essentially wheeled pedestrians,” the various types of bicycles commonly used in the Netherlands, and our approach to designing junctions. In particular, our design involves initially creating non-signalized junctions and subsequently incorporating traffic lights. This strategic implementation allows the junctions to function effectively even when the traffic lights are not activated.

After the morning session, the delegation was welcomed at the City Hall of Zwolle by Marieke van Brussel and introduced to the future plans of the city: all focused on environmental friendly and innovative measures which promote active mobility. The day was concluded with an impressive bicycle tour around Zwolle guided by the City of Zwolle in collaboration with Babet Hendriks (Mobycon), wherein we experienced the peak time of a primary school, round-abouts, the beautiful surroundings of Zwolle and rush hour at the train station.  

The second day Erik Tetteroo (HODworks) welcomed the delegation at the office of the Dutch Cycling Embassy and shared his expertise on bicycle oriented developments as well as the need for having a strategy focused on each user group. Each user group needs a different approach, and therefore, the way of communication needs to be different and adapted. Thereafter, Utrecht locals Laurens Hitman and Jelle de Groot (SportUtrecht) provided a superb bicycle tour on Kanaaleiland (Channel Island) in Utrecht. While cycling we encountered the different programs SportUtrecht is working on, from projects for people with mental, physical or financial issues, newcomers and primary school children, including a visit to a traffic garden!

After lunch, where Wim Bot (Cyclists Union) joined the conversation, the study visit was concluded with a conversation about cycling incentives with José Díaz (Motion) sharing his experiences from a program running in silicon valley. The delegates enthousiastically ended the day with a cycle tour to Houten. 

The visit was a follow-up of previous exchanges between Jersey and the DCE starting back in 2019. The delegates shared their graditute and found their time in the Netherlandse refreshing and re-energizing for their work back home. We are looking forward continuing the collaboration and the future developments of cycling in Jersey!