In their never-ending pursuit to engineer a seamless cycling experience, the Dutch have built an comprehensive system of intermodal connections extremely conducive to the use of alternative transportation. Whether it be the incredible bicycle parking facilities and repair stations found scattered throughout cities and at every major train station, or the extremely integrated bicycle rental system OV-Fiets, the ease with which modal shifts can occur throughout the Netherlands is unparalleled.
The incredible attention to detail paid by the Dutch to almost every facet of their infrastructure clearly extends to making these intermodal shifts as painless as possible, enabling cyclists to effortlessly use train and metro facilities to ensure that any trip, whether across the city or across the country, can be completed partially by cycle.
The system simultaneously makes possible and discourages the onboarding of cycles, offering space for cycles albeit at an increased (and probably unsustainable) rate. However, the ubiquity of public transit and rental cycle facilities means that bikes need not be taken with their owners on trips, instead providing other modes or temporary cycle ownership to encourage bicycling to the origin station.
With transit, the Dutch understand that infrequent, unreliable service is no better than no service at all. With that in mind, utmost effort is put into ensuring that transit arrives and leaves on time, with payments to contractors set to incentivize moving people, not time involved. As a result, the systems are optimized to provide the most efficient service possible.
As with other facets of the cycling experience, the Dutch have built their system to provide as effortless an experience as possible. There is a fundamental understanding that to incentivize cycling, a system must be put in place to optimize intermodal transitions and last-mile travel. As a result, cycling facilities are provided at every transportation hub, and a national rental system has been put in place to remove every barrier for use of cycling as a origin-to-destination transportation method.
