The Best Dutch Cycling Infrastructure

Videos

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Civics

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Not Just Bikes

Open Resource

What it is

This video is about the system of bicycle-only roads in the Netherlands.
Students will learn about the benefits of these roads, including convenience, improved safety, and better quality of life.

Teaching tips

Positives

It provides beautiful footage of biking around the Netherlands on bicycle-only roads.
Students can visualize the benefits and see how bike traffic flows in a well-designed biking system.

Prerequisites

There is an ad before the video.
Students should understand how increased bike access can result in cleaner air, fewer carbon emissions, more equitable transportation access, and a healthier population.

Differentiation & Implementation

Students in geography classes can compare bike lane maps in the Netherlands to bike lane maps in their own communities.
Students who are inspired to take action can contact a local representative and advocate for more bike lanes or start a Walk and Roll Day.
Other resources related to this topic include Why Protected Bike Lanes Are More Valuable than Parking Spaces, Underground Bicycle Parking Is Amazing, and Car-Free Streets Are Amazing (And We Need More of Them).
A lesson on this topic is Green Transportation: Electric Cars vs. Bicycles.

From the scientist review

This resource is a 5-minute video that presents several examples of bicycle-only roads that are ubiquitous in the Netherlands. Advantages and challenges are presented, and issues with planning and public opinion are discussed. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Civics
Format: YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: Europe
Provider: Not Just Bikes
Authors: Not Just Bikes
Published: April 27, 2021
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · D2.Civ.12.6-8 + 6 more

Core

Core Standards legacy

D2.Civ.12.6-8D2.Civ.12.6-8 Assess specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) as means of addressing public problems.
D2.Geo.7.6-8D2.Geo.7.6-8 Explain how changes in transportation and communication technology influence the spatial connections among human settlements and affect the diffusion of ideas and cultural practices.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.2CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
HS-ETS1-3.HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
D2.Civ.13.9-12D2.Civ.13.9-12 Evaluate public policies in terms of intended and unintended outcomes, and related consequences.
D2.Geo.10.9-12D2.Geo.10.9-12 Evaluate how changes in the environmental and cultural characteristics of a place or region influence spatial patterns of trade and land use.
HS-ETS1-A.2.HS-ETS1-A.2. Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimizepollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities. (HS-ETS1-1)

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