Having Left: A Reflection on the Netherlands

I had a great deal of fun and learned a lot on this trip, to the point that I have begun emphatically suggesting to anyone willing to listen that they should make a point to visit the Netherlands at least once if they have any interest in bicycles. It also brought to light just how much room for improvement there actually is for bike infrastructure back home in the USA.

I hail from a very small town called Baker City in Oregon. I rarely felt unsafe on my bike there, but that was because I was always either far from the main road or crossing it while on the singular bike path that runs along the Powder River through the middle of town. It was more due to the fact that, since the population of the city is so low, there's hardly any automotive traffic in the first place to compete with, and that's at the busier times of day: I was typically on my bike when people were already at work or well asleep, so I practically had the whole road to myself! The only actual infrastructure in town includes that same shared bike/pedestrian path I mentioned before (specifically the Leo Adler Memorial Parkway (he's something of a local legend in Baker who donated his fortune to improving the city and helping the people in it)) and a stretch of the main commercial road that has a narrow bike lane on either side of a road with traffic moving fast enough that the Dutch would probably want a dedicated separate path.

At this point, I have ended up for a time in the Vancouver/Portland area, which is apparently considered one of the best places to ride a bike in the country, according to somebody I met while here. And even in this apparent haven, the best they have to offer is a narrow bike lane, frequently to be crossed by cars wanting to turn right, park, or experience catastrophic failure of their tires, all at speeds of 35-40 mph! It's certainly better than nothing, and by sheer volume alone I can see why people claim this area is so ideal to bike, but I can really understand now just how bad the situation here really is in comparison for those wanting to commute using their bikes.