A HAPPY BICYCLE CITY – Consumers Association Penang

Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands, is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the world – and one of the happiest. The heart of the city is lively, green, scenic and charming with no noisy road traffic. The city gives priority to the bicycle as a healthy, clean and safe mode of transport.

There are 420 km of bicycle paths in the city. 94% of Utrecht residents own one or more bicycles and 33,000 cyclists cycle along the city’s busiest route every day. It has the largest bicycle parking in the world (with space for up to 12,500 bicycles). The easy accessibility to the town centre and bicycle parking facilities available make people here happy.

Nature- and bicycle-friendly Utrecht has been called the beating heart of a healthy society. It has also been described as a City with a Smile. A picture says more than 1,000 words – see photo on the right by De Filmende Fietser @FilmendeFietser.