Green Deal Bicycle

Transportation by bike has many advantages: cycling is good for the environment and for one’s health. For a sustainable, healthy Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, with vital residents and employees, it is therefore important to encourage the use of bicycles.

The Green Deal Bicycle initiative connects organisations to develop innovations for increased bicycle use. And reduce or remove barriers experienced by cyclists. The Amsterdam Economic Board was initiator, together with the MRA Bureau, the Transport Region of Amsterdam and BYCS.

Read more about Green Deal Bicycle in our publications and event reports.

Results for Green Deal Bicycle

• Selection tool for bicycle-friendly working conditions was developed for HR managers at (large) employers. By September 2024, 8 large employers were using it.
• Development of an awareness tool, which provides public and private organisations with insights into the impact that increased bicycle mileage during commute has on cost savings, societal benefits, health effects and reduction of CO2 emissions. Completion of the tool is expected in December 2024.
• Opening of the first bicycle service point at Schiphol-North is expected in spring 2025.

Councillor Marja Ruigrok talks about Green Deal Bicycle (Dutch video). Continue reading below.

What does Green Deal Bicycle do?

Two-thirds of all Dutch people, ages 6 and up, cycle daily to several times a week. A quarter of the Dutch cycle (hardly) ever, including in the Amsterdam Metropolitan area. Green Deal Bicycle wants to use this great opportunity to boost bicycle use in the region. And thus contribute to less CO2 emissions, better accessibility, more healthy residents and vital employees in the region. With the end of 2025 as the horizon, we are working with partners on the development of four issues:

1. Regional network of innovative bicycle service points

By the end of 2025, there will be three to five bicycle service points in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, preferably distributed regionally and varied by target group (bicycle commuter, sport cyclist, recreational cyclist, etc.)

A bike is a very good and fast way to get from A to B – even over slightly longer distances. However, it is precisely then that there is a need for more service on the road; for repairs, shelter from a rain shower, to buy a snack or charge the battery. Therefore, the regional authorities – together with the Green Deal partners – are looking which locations along main bicycle routes in the region are best suited to offer a bicycle service point.

A first bicycle service point in Schiphol-North will open in the spring of 2024. Lessons from this pilot, will be applied to future bike service points (pdf).

2. Bicycle-friendly employment conditions

About 60% of employees live within 20 km of their work place. Of this group, more than half commute by bike at least once a week. Just under half (almost) never cycle to work. This can and should be different! Our goal is to encourage as many regional employers and employees as possible to adopt bike-friendly employment conditions. Such as attractive bike mileage reimbursement, bike leasing opportunities, locker rooms at work, etc. This encourages cyclists to commute, CO2 emissions are reduced and employers get more vital employees.

Green Deal Bicycle, in cooperation with Breikers, is looking to connect with information and service providers such as Da’s zo gefietst, Zo Werkt Het, Fietsersbond, Kies de Fiets and Anders Reizen. Together we can develop a simple, attractive proposition for (HR managers at) employers. In September 2023, Green Deal Bicycle partners, along with MKB Amsterdam, signed an Impact Deal. This encourages bicycle use among employees in SMEs. Meanwhile, regional governments and Green Deal Bicycle partners are lobbying for simple, understandable laws and regulations for bicycle use, so that as many employees as possible will choose to cycle.

Are you ready to make your working conditions bike-friendly? Breikers’ decision tool gives you personalized advice and answers all your questions.

3. Children and youth on bicycles (ages 2-20).

Fewer and fewer children and youth are using bicycles to get home, to school, sports or friends. One in three children never bike to elementary school. In Amsterdam, a quarter of children cannot ride a bike (Dutch article). Our goal is to help as many children and young people as possible get on the bicycle saddle and thus preserve regional cycling culture. To this end, we look at what “having access to a bicycle” means for (young) children. We initiate concrete pilots (Dutch video) that help young people choose to ride a bicycle.

Green Deal Bicycle has successfully developed and scaled up the START programme. With this, we are working to build the culture of cycling by starting with the youngest children (up to age 6) and their parents/caregivers. START is for cities committed to health and inclusive prosperity, for nurseries and elementary schools focused on equity and physical activity, and for anyone who wants to do more by bike.

4. Understanding impact of increased bicycle use

Cycling must (again) become attractive to a broad target group. For this, it is important to collect, access and make knowledge and data available to organisations, companies and researchers within and outside the region. This knowledge provides better insight into the impact of increased bicycle use in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. The Waardecreatiemodel Green Deal Bicycle (Dutch pdf), which we have developed with the Impact Institute, provides a good basis for this.

Watch the video about Green Deal Bicycle (Dutch), or read on below.