Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Overall, Holland has some excellent cycle path designs where there are wide boulevards. One issue that US cities frequently encounter are narrow streets, and trying to add as many car and bicycle lanes as they can cram in, and no place to put the bicycles.
One of my favourite streets to cycle through here (admittedly in the part of the Netherlands that isn't Holland) is partly too narrow for a car and a bike, and the sidewalk is to narrow for a bike. When it comes to narrow streets, maybe some Asian cities or very old Italian cities can compete but that's about it.
The cycling advocacy in less developped countries in this respect, is far too focussed on visible infrastructure.
It is so much better to plan ahead when building new.
Or maintenanc, or resurfacing. In the Netherlands you cannot build a road without catering to all needs, it's a legal impossibilty, but often the improvements are already decided on shortly after a road was build or done, and the adjustements simply have to wait until the next big maintenance moment. There's structure and there is continuous improvement.