105-468: The Poole Heritage Cycle Route is a circular cycleway and walk, 7.5 miles long, that takes in the historic points of interest in the town of Poole , Dorset , on the south coast of England . The heritage cycle route is 7¼ miles long and visits historic sights in Poole town centre, Poole Quay and Upton Country Park . It runs along the shoreline of Poole Harbour and Holes Bay and has "beautiful views of
210-463: A certain level of independence from the bishops and were not willing to cede this to their new lord. The heavily fortified castle Vredenburg was built to house a large garrison whose main task was to maintain control over the city. The castle would last less than 50 years before it was demolished in an uprising in the early stages of the Dutch Revolt . In 1579 the northern seven provinces signed
315-407: A highway ( Catherijnebaan ). Protest against further modernisation of the city centre followed even before the last buildings were finalised. In the early 21st century, the whole area is undergoing change again. The redeveloped music centre TivoliVredenburg opened in 2014 with the original Vredenburg and Tivoli concert and rock and jazz halls brought together in a single building. Utrecht experiences
420-418: A major arterial bike lane to provide green waves for rush hour cycle-traffic. However, this would still not resolve the problem of red-waves for slow (old and young) and fast (above average fitness) cyclists. Cycling-specific measures that can be applied at traffic signals include the use of advanced stop lines and/or bypasses. In some cases cyclists might be given a free-turn or a signal bypass if turning into
525-522: A painted marking are quite common in many cities. Cycle tracks demarcated by barriers, bollards or boulevards are quite common in some European countries such as the Netherlands , Denmark and Germany . They are also increasingly common in major cities elsewhere, such as New York , Melbourne , Ottawa , Vancouver and San Francisco . Montreal and Davis, California , which have had segregated cycling facilities with barriers for several decades, are among
630-463: A product of traffic management that focuses on trying to keep motorized vehicles moving regardless of the social and other impacts, such as by some cycling campaigners, or seen as a useful tool for traffic calming, and for eliminating rat runs , in the view of UK traffic planners. One-way streets can disadvantage cyclists by increasing trip-length, delays and hazards associated with weaving maneuvers at junctions. In northern European countries such as
735-429: A reduction in the total number of collisions. In Belgium , all one-way streets in 50 km/h zones are by default two-way for cyclists. A Danish road directorate states that in town centers it is important to be able to cycle in both directions in all streets, and that in certain circumstances, two-way cycle traffic can be accommodated in an otherwise one-way street. One-way street systems can be viewed as either
840-653: A road on the nearside. In many places worldwide special signposts for bicycles are used to indicate directions and distances to destinations for cyclists. Apart from signposting in and between urban areas, mountain pass cycling milestones have become an important service for bicycle tourists. They provide cyclists with information about their current position with regard to the summit of the mountain pass . Numbered-node cycle networks are increasingly used in Europe to give flexible, low-cost signage. One method for reducing potential friction between cyclists and motorized vehicles
945-475: A sharrow is a street marking that indicates the preferred lateral position for cyclists (to avoid the door zone and other obstacles) where dedicated bike lanes are not available. A 2-1 road is a roadway striping configuration which provides for two-way motor vehicle and bicycle traffic using a central vehicular travel lane and "advisory" bike lanes on either side. The center lane is dedicated to, and shared by, motorists traveling in both directions. The center lane
1050-507: A significant increase in cycle use within the affected area. Speed reduction has traditionally been attempted by statutory speed limits and enforcing the assured clear distance ahead rule . Recent implementations of shared space schemes have delivered significant traffic speed reductions. The reductions are sustainable, without the need for speed limits or speed limit enforcement . In Norrköping , Sweden, mean traffic speeds in 2006 dropped from 21 to 16 km/h (13 to 10 mph) since
1155-440: A single phase. Proponents point out that cycling infrastructure including dedicated bike lanes has been implemented in many cities; when well-designed and well-implemented they are popular and safe, and they are effective at relieving both congestion and air pollution. Jurisdictions have guidelines around the selection of the right bikeway treatments in order make routes more comfortable and safer for cycling. A study reviewing
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#17328446939011260-645: A specific cycling route over another. Measures to encourage cycling include traffic calming; traffic reduction; junction treatment; traffic control systems to recognize cyclists and give them priority; exempt cyclists from banned turns and access restrictions; implement contra-flow cycle lanes on one-way streets; implement on-street parking restrictions; provide advanced stop lines /bypasses for cyclists at traffic signals; marking wide curb/kerb lanes; and marking shared bus/cycle lanes. Colombian city, Bogota converted some car lanes into bidirectional bike lanes during coronavirus pandemic, adding 84 km of new bike lanes ;
1365-417: A temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) similar to all of the Netherlands . Utrecht city had a population of 361,924 in 2022. It is a growing municipality and projections are that the population will surpass 392,000 by 2025. As of November 2019, the city of Utrecht has a population of 357,179. Utrecht has a young population, with many inhabitants in the age category from 20 and 30 years, due to
1470-550: A width of at least 2 meters, or 2.5 metres if used by more than 150 bicycles per hour. A minimum width of 2 meters is specified by the cities of Utrecht and 's-Hertogenbosch for new cycle lanes. The Netherlands also has protected intersections to cyclists crossing roads. Some bikeways are separated from motor traffic by physical constraints (e.g. barriers, parking or bollards)— bicycle trail , cycle track —but others are partially separated only by painted markings— bike lane , buffered bike lane, and contraflow bike lane. Some share
1575-606: Is a station on the night service , providing an all-night service to (among others) Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, seven days a week. International InterCityExpress (ICE) services to Germany through Arnhem call at Utrecht Centraal. Regular local trains to all areas surrounding Utrecht also depart from Utrecht Centraal; and service several smaller stations: Utrecht Lunetten ; Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn ; Utrecht Overvecht ; Utrecht Leidsche Rijn ; Utrecht Terwijde ; Utrecht Zuilen and Vleuten . A former station Utrecht Maliebaan closed in 1939 and has since been converted into
1680-497: Is also informally considered the "capital" of the Dutch games industry . It was named by Business Finland in 2023 as one of several capitals for the European games industry as a whole. Utrecht's influence in this field was caused by video game development courses at its universities, which were the first such courses in Europe when launched in 2002. Since 2008 Utrecht has also been home to
1785-591: Is currently operated by the private transport company Qbuzz . On 16 December 2019 the new tram line to the Uithof started operating, creating a direct mass transit connection from the central station to the main Utrecht university campus. The main local and regional bus station of Utrecht is located adjacent to Utrecht Centraal railway station, at the East and West entrances. Due to large-scale renovation and construction works at
1890-624: Is dominated by the Dom Tower , the tallest belfry in the Netherlands and originally part of the Cathedral of Saint Martin . An ongoing debate is over whether any building in or near the centre of town should surpass the Dom Tower in height (112 m [367 ft]). Nevertheless, some tall buildings are now being constructed that will become part of the skyline of Utrecht. The second-tallest building of
1995-652: Is done at the Utrecht School of the Arts . The Centraal Museum has many exhibitions on the arts, including a permanent exhibition on the works of Utrecht resident illustrator Dick Bruna , who is best known for creating Miffy ("Nijntje", in Dutch). BAK, [Dutch: "Basis voor Actuele Kunst," Basis for Contemporary Art] offers contemporary art exhibitions and public events, as well as a Fellowship program for practitioners involved in contemporary arts, theory and activisms. Although street art
2100-702: Is generally considered to be the beginning of the Bishopric of Utrecht . In 723, the Frankish leader Charles Martel bestowed the fortress in Utrecht and the surrounding lands as the base of the bishops. From then on Utrecht became one of the most influential seats of power for the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. The archbishops of Utrecht were based at the uneasy northern border of the Carolingian Empire . In addition,
2205-516: Is home of one of the locations of TIAS School for Business and Society , focused on post-experience management education and the largest management school of its kind in the Netherlands. In 2008, its executive MBA program was rated the 24th best program in the world by the Financial Times . Utrecht is also home to two other large institutions of higher education: the vocational university Hogeschool Utrecht (37,000 students), with locations in
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#17328446939012310-512: Is located in the eastern part of the Randstad conurbation , in the very centre of mainland Netherlands, and includes Haarzuilens , Vleuten and De Meern . It has a population of 361,699 as of December 2021 . Utrecht's ancient city centre features many buildings and structures, several dating as far back as the High Middle Ages . It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since
2415-658: Is narrower than two vehicular travel lanes and has no centerline; some are narrower than the width of a car. Cyclists are given preference in the bike lanes but motorists can encroach into the bike lanes to pass other motor vehicles after yielding to cyclists. Advisory bike lanes are normally installed on low volume streets. Advisory bike lanes have a number of names. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration calls them "Advisory Shoulders". In New Zealand, they are called 2-minus-1 roads. They are called Schutzstreifen (Germany), Suggestiestrook (Netherlands), and Suggestion Lanes (a literal English translation of Suggestiestrook). Denmark and
2520-461: Is noted that further research is recommended to confirm findings. Bikeways can fall into these main categories: separated in-roadway bikeways such as bike lanes and buffered bike lanes; physically separated in-roadway bikeways such as cycle tracks; right-of-way paths such as bike paths and shared use paths; and shared in-roadway bikeways such as bike boulevards, shared lane markings, and advisory bike lanes. The exact categorization changes depending on
2625-405: Is sometimes argued that the close by municipalities De Bilt , Zeist , Houten , Vianen , Driebergen-Rijsenburg ( Utrechtse Heuvelrug ), and Bunnik should also be counted towards the Utrecht agglomeration, bringing the total to 640,000 inhabitants. The larger region, including slightly more remote cities such as Woerden and Amersfoort , counts up to 820,000 inhabitants. Utrecht's cityscape
2730-496: Is still in the city centre at Neude square, but is now serving as library, see also Utrecht Post Office . Another landmark is the old centre and the canal structure in the inner city. The Oudegracht is a curved canal, partly following the ancient main branch of the Rhine . It is lined with the unique wharf-basement structures that create a two-level street along the canals. The inner city has largely retained its medieval structure, and
2835-429: Is subdivided into 10 city quarters, all of which have their own neighbourhood council and service centre for civil affairs. Utrecht is the centre of a densely populated area, a fact which makes concise definitions of its agglomeration difficult, and somewhat arbitrary. The smaller Utrecht agglomeration of continuously built-up areas counts some 420,000 inhabitants and includes Nieuwegein , IJsselstein and Maarssen . It
2940-526: Is to provide "wide kerb", or "nearside", lanes (UK terminology) or " wide outside through lane " (U.S. terminology). These extra-wide lanes increase the probability that motorists pass cyclists at a safe distance without having to change lanes. This is held to be particularly important on routes with a high proportion of wide vehicles such as buses or heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). They also provide more room for cyclists to filter past queues of cars in congested conditions and to safely overtake each other. Due to
3045-553: Is to reduce the capacity to park cars. Starting in the 1970s, the city of Copenhagen , where now 36% of the trips are done by bicycle, adopted a policy of reducing available car parking capacity by several per cents per year. The city of Amsterdam , where around 40% of all trips are by bicycle, adopted similar parking reduction policies in the 80s and 90s. Direct traffic reduction methods can involve straightforward bans or more subtle methods like road pricing schemes or road diets . The London congestion charge reportedly resulted in
3150-572: The Dutch Railway Museum . Utrecht is the location of the headquarters of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (English: Dutch Railways ), the largest rail operator in the Netherlands, and ProRail , the state-owned company responsible for the construction and maintenance of the country's rail infrastructure. The Utrecht sneltram is a light rail scheme running southwards from Utrecht Centraal to the suburbs of IJsselstein , Kanaleneiland , Lombok and Nieuwegein . The sneltram began operations in 1983 and
3255-694: The Euro-VI standard as well as electric buses for inner-city transport. Regional buses from the city are operated by Arriva and Connexxion . The Utrecht Centraal railway station is also served by the pan-European services of Eurolines . Furthermore, it acts as departure and arrival place of many coach companies serving holiday resorts in Spain and France—and during winter in Austria and Switzerland . Like most Dutch cities, Utrecht has an extensive network of cycle paths , making cycling safe and popular. 33% of journeys within
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3360-629: The European Commission policy document on cycle promotion. Shared space schemes extend this principle further by removing the reliance on lane markings altogether, and also removing road signs and signals, allowing all road users to use any part of the road, and giving all road users equal priority and equal responsibility for each other's safety. Experiences where these schemes are in use show that road users, particularly motorists, undirected by signs, kerbs, or road markings, reduce their speed and establish eye contact with other users. Results from
3465-620: The Franks , during Dagobert I 's reign in the 7th century, a church was built within the walls of the Roman fortress. In ongoing border conflicts with the Frisians , this first church was destroyed. By the mid-7th century, British, English and Irish missionaries set out to convert the Frisians . Pope Sergius I appointed their leader, Saint Willibrordus , as bishop of the Frisians. The tenure of Willibrordus
3570-512: The Netherlands have pioneered the concept of "bicycle superhighways". The first Dutch route opened in 2004 between Breda and Etten-Leur; many others have been added since then. In 2017 several bicycle superhighways were opened in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, with the RijnWaalpad as the best example of this new type of cycling infrastructure. The first Danish route, C99, opened in 2012 between
3675-503: The Netherlands innovated is called in North America a protected intersection that reconfigures intersections to reduce risk to cyclists as they cross or turn. Some American cities are starting to pilot protected intersections. A bike box or an advanced stop line is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides bicyclists with a safer and more visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during
3780-412: The Netherlands with 30,449 students (as of 2012 ). The university is partially based in the inner city as well as in the Uithof campus area, on the east side of the city. According to Shanghai Jiaotong University 's university ranking in 2014, it is the 57th-best university in the world. Utrecht also houses the much smaller University of Humanistic Studies , which houses about 400 students. Utrecht
3885-529: The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie were moved east of Utrecht. The town walls could now be demolished to allow for expansion. The moats remained intact and formed an important feature of the Zocher plantsoen, an English style landscape park that remains largely intact today. Growth of the city increased when, in 1843, a railway connecting Utrecht to Amsterdam was opened. After that, Utrecht gradually became
3990-641: The Stone Age (app. 2200 BCE ) and settling in the Bronze Age (app. 1800–800 BCE), the founding date of the city is usually related to the construction of a Roman fortification ( castellum ), probably built in around 50 CE . A series of such fortresses were built after the Roman emperor Claudius decided the empire should not expand further north. To consolidate the border, the Limes Germanicus defense line
4095-594: The Teutonic Knights . Besides these buildings which belonged to the bishopric, an additional four parish churches were constructed in the city: the Jacobikerk ( dedicated to Saint James ), founded in the 11th century, with the current Gothic church dating back to the 14th century; the Buurkerk (Neighbourhood-church) of the 11th-century parish in the centre of the city; Nicolaichurch (dedicated to Saint Nicholas ), from
4200-503: The Union of Utrecht treaty (Dutch: Unie van Utrecht), in which they decided to join forces against Spanish rule. The Union of Utrecht is seen as the beginning of the Dutch Republic . In 1580, the new and predominantly Protestant state abolished the bishoprics, including the archbishopric of Utrecht. The stadtholders disapproved of the independent course of the Utrecht bourgeoisie and brought
4305-518: The Vesterbro rail station in Copenhagen and Albertslund , a western suburb. The route cost 13.4 million Danish kroner and is 17.5 km long, built with few stops and new paths away from traffic. "Service stations" with air pumps are located at regular intervals, and where the route must cross streets, handholds and running boards are provided so cyclists can wait without having to put their feet on
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4410-515: The 12th century, and the 13th-century Geertekerk (dedicated to Saint Gertrude of Nivelles ). Its location on the banks of the river Rhine allowed Utrecht to become an important trade centre in the Northern Netherlands. The growing town was granted city rights by Henry V at Utrecht on 2 June 1122. When the main flow of the Rhine moved south, the old bed which still flowed through the heart of
4515-468: The 16th century), on the Dom square, dating back to the early 8th century. Saint John (Janskerk), originating in 1040; Saint Peter , building started in 1039 and Saint Mary 's church building started around 1090 (demolished in the early 19th century, cloister survives). Besides these churches, the city housed St. Paul's Abbey , the 15th-century beguinage of St. Nicholas , and a 14th-century chapter house of
4620-537: The 8th century. In 1579, the Union of Utrecht was signed in the city to lay the foundations for the Dutch Republic . Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age , when it was surpassed by Amsterdam as the country's cultural centre and most populous city. Utrecht is home to Utrecht University , the largest university in the Netherlands, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Due to its central position within
4725-656: The Dukes of Guelders . The Veluwe region was seized by Guelders, but large areas in the modern province of Overijssel remained as the Oversticht. Several churches and monasteries were built inside, or close to, the city of Utrecht. The most dominant of these was the Cathedral of Saint Martin , inside the old Roman fortress. The construction of the present Gothic building was begun in 1254 after an earlier romanesque construction had been badly damaged by fire. The choir and transept were finished from 1320 and were followed then by
4830-715: The Dutch CROW , the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide to Bikeway Facilities , the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), and the US National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide . In the Netherlands, the Tekenen voor de fiets design manual recommends
4935-582: The East, and Lombok to the West were developed. New middle-class residential areas, such as Tuindorp and Oog in Al , were built in the 1920s and 1930s. During this period, several Jugendstil houses and office buildings were built, followed by Rietveld who built the Rietveld Schröder House (1924), and Dudok 's construction of the city theatre (1941). During World War II , Utrecht was held by German forces until
5040-611: The French invasion in 1672 (the Disaster Year , Dutch: Rampjaar). The French invasion was stopped just west of Utrecht at the Old Hollandic Waterline . In 1674, only two years after the French left, the centre of Utrecht was struck by a tornado . The halt to building before construction of flying buttresses in the 15th century now proved to be the undoing of the cathedral of St Martin church's central section which collapsed, creating
5145-570: The Netherlands, however, cyclists are frequently granted exemptions from one-way street restrictions, which improves cycling traffic flow while restricting motorized vehicles. German research indicates that making one-way streets two-way for cyclists results in a reduction in the total number of collisions. There are often restrictions to what one-way streets are good candidates for allowing two-way cycling traffic. In Belgium road authorities in principle allow any one-way street in 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) zones to be two-way for cyclists if
5250-521: The ambitious Dom tower . The last part to be constructed was the central nave , from 1420. By that time, however, the age of the great cathedrals had come to an end and declining finances prevented the ambitious project from being finished, the construction of the central nave being suspended before the planned flying buttresses could be finished. Besides the cathedral there were four collegiate churches in Utrecht: St. Salvator's Church (demolished in
5355-1095: The available lane is at least 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide (area free from parking) and no specific local circumstances prevent it. Denmark , a country with high cycling levels, does not use one-way systems to improve traffic flow. Some commentators argue that the initial goal should be to dismantle large one-way street systems as a traffic calming/traffic reduction measure, followed by the provision of two-way cyclist access on any one-way streets that remain. In general, junction designs that favor higher-speed turning, weaving and merging movements by motorists tend to be hostile for cyclists. Free-flowing arrangements can be hazardous for cyclists and should be avoided. Features such as large entry curvature, slip-roads and high flow roundabouts are associated with increased risk of car–cyclist collisions. Cycling advocates argue for modifications and alternative junction types that resolve these issues such as reducing kerb radii on street corners, eliminating slip roads and replacing large roundabouts with signalized intersections. Another approach which
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#17328446939015460-442: The bike boom of the 1880s when the first short stretches of dedicated bicycle infrastructure were built, through to the rise of the automobile from the mid-20th century onwards and the concomitant decline of cycling as a means of transport, to cycling's comeback from the 1970s onwards. A bikeway is a lane, route, way or path which in some manner is specifically designed and /or designated for bicycle travel. Bike lanes demarcated by
5565-497: The bishop lost secular power over both Neder- and Oversticht—which included the city of Utrecht—to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor . Charles V combined the Seventeen Provinces (the current Benelux and the northern parts of France) as a personal union. This ended the prince-bishopric of Utrecht, as the secular rule was now the lordship of Utrecht , with the religious power remaining with the bishop, although Charles V had gained
5670-613: The bishop, who controlled many lands outside of the city, and the citizens of Utrecht was not always easy. The bishop, for example dammed the Kromme Rijn at Wijk bij Duurstede to protect his estates from flooding. This threatened shipping for the city and led the city of Utrecht to commission a canal to ensure access to the town for shipping trade: the Vaartse Rijn, connecting Utrecht to the Hollandse IJssel at IJsselstein . In 1528
5775-449: The buildings around Dom Square. From the middle of the 3rd century, Germanic tribes regularly invaded the Roman territories. After around 275 the Romans could no longer maintain the northern border, and Utrecht was abandoned. Little is known about the period from 270 to 650. Utrecht is first spoken of again several centuries after the Romans left. Under the influence of the growing realms of
5880-422: The case of exclusive bike paths. There is no single usage of segregation ; in some cases it can mean the exclusion of motor vehicles and in other cases the exclusion of pedestrians as well. Thus, it includes bike lanes with solid painted lines but not lanes with dotted lines and advisory bike lanes where motor vehicles are allowed to encroach on the lane. It includes cycle tracks as physically distinct from
5985-565: The city and the Uithof campus; and the HKU Utrecht School of the Arts (3,000 students). There are many schools for primary and secondary education, allowing parents to select from different philosophies and religions in the school as is inherent in the Dutch school system . Utrecht city has an active cultural life, and in the Netherlands is second only to Amsterdam. There are several theatres and theatre companies. The 1941 main city theatre
6090-407: The city are by bicycle, more than any other mode of transport. (Cars, for example, account for 30% of trips). Bicycles are used by young and old people, and by individuals and families. They are mostly traditional, upright, steel-framed bicycles, with few gears. There are also bucket bikes for carrying cargo such as groceries or small children. Thanks in part to the access provided by bicycles, 100% of
6195-496: The city center. Similarly, Groningen is divided into four zones that cannot be crossed by private motor-traffic, (private cars must use the ring road instead). Cyclists and other traffic can pass between the zones and cycling accounts for 50%+ of trips in Groningen (which reputedly has the third-highest proportion of cycle traffic of any city). The Swedish city of Gothenburg uses a similar system of traffic cells. Another approach
6300-483: The city in the early 19th century, required open lines of fire, thus prohibiting all permanent constructions until the middle of the 20th century on the east side of the city. Due to the past importance of Utrecht as a religious centre, several monumental churches were erected, many of which have survived. Most prominent is the Dom Church . Other notable churches include the romanesque St Peter's and St John's churches;
6405-513: The city of Utrecht had competition from the nearby trading centre Dorestad . After the fall of Dorestad around 850, Utrecht became one of the most important cities in the Netherlands. The importance of Utrecht as a centre of Christianity is illustrated by the election of the Utrecht-born Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens as pope in 1522 (the last non-Italian pope before John Paul II ). When the Frankish rulers established
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#17328446939016510-458: The city under much more direct control of the republic, shifting the power towards its dominant province Holland . This was the start of a long period of stagnation of trade and development in Utrecht. Utrecht remained an atypical city in the new republic being about 40% Catholic in the mid-17th century, and even more so among the elite groups, who included many rural nobility and gentry with town houses there. The fortified city temporarily fell to
6615-621: The city, the Rabobank -tower, was completed in 2010 and stands 105 m (344 ft) tall. Two antennas will increase that height to 120 m (394 ft). Two other buildings were constructed around the Nieuw Galgenwaard stadium (2007). These buildings, the 'Kantoortoren Galghenwert' and 'Apollo Residence', stand 85.5 m (280.5 ft) and 64.5 m (211.6 ft) high, respectively. The former Utrecht Main Post Office, built in 1924,
6720-485: The construction of arterial bypasses and ring roads around urban centers. Indirect methods involve reducing the infrastructural capacity dedicated to moving motorized vehicles. This can involve reducing the number of road lanes, closing bridges to certain vehicle types and creating vehicle restricted zones or environmental traffic cells. In the 1970s the Dutch city of Delft began restricting private car traffic from crossing
6825-424: The country, it is an important hub for both rail and road transport ; it has the busiest railway station in the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal . It has the second-highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam. In 2012, Lonely Planet included Utrecht in the top 10 of the world's unsung places. Although there is some evidence of earlier inhabitation in the region of Utrecht, dating back to
6930-565: The current Dom square between the tower and choir. In 1713, Utrecht hosted one of the first international peace negotiations when the Treaty of Utrecht settled the War of the Spanish Succession . Beginning in 1723, Utrecht became the centre of the non-Roman Old Catholic Churches in the world. In the early 19th century, the role of Utrecht as a fortified town had become obsolete. The fortifications of
7035-483: The earliest examples in North America. Various guides exist to define the different types of bikeway infrastructure, including UK Department for Transport manual The Geometric Design of Pedestrian, Cycle and Equestrian Routes , Sustrans Design Manual, UK Department of Transport Local Transport Note 2/08: Cycle Infrastructure Design, the Danish Road Authority guide Registration and classification of paths ,
7140-577: The final section (after some delay) being opened on 19 August 2019. Utrecht is well-connected to the Dutch road network. Two of the most important major roads serve the city of Utrecht: the A12 and A2 motorways connect Amsterdam , Arnhem , The Hague and Maastricht , as well as Belgium and Germany. Other major motorways in the area are the Almere – Breda A27 and the Utrecht– Groningen A28 . Due to
7245-457: The general German surrender of the Netherlands on 5 May 1945. British and Canadian troops that had surrounded the city entered it after that surrender, on 7 May 1945. Following the end of World War II, the city grew considerably when new neighbourhoods such as Overvecht , Kanaleneiland , Hoograven [ nl ] and Lunetten were built. Around 2000, the Leidsche Rijn housing area
7350-511: The gothic churches of St James and St Nicholas; and the Buurkerk, now converted into a museum for automatically playing musical instruments . Because of its central location, Utrecht is well connected to the rest of the Netherlands and has a well-developed public transport network. Utrecht Centraal is the main railway station of Utrecht and is the largest in the country. There are regular intercity services to all major Dutch cities, including direct services to Schiphol Airport . Utrecht Centraal
7455-517: The government is intending to make these new bike lanes permanent. In the US, slow-street movements have been introduced by erecting makeshift barriers to slow traffic and allow bikers and walkers to safely share the road with motorists . Removing traffic can be achieved by straightforward diversion or alternatively reduction. Diversion involves routing through-traffic away from roads used by high numbers of cyclists and pedestrians. Examples of diversion include
7560-732: The ground. Similar projects have since been built in Germany among other countries. The cost of building a bicycle super highway depends on many things, but is usually between €300,000/km (for a wide dedicated cycle track) and €800,000/km (when complex civil engineering structures are needed). There are various measures cities and regions often take on the roadway to make it more cycling friendly and safer. Aspects of infrastructure may be viewed as either cyclist-hostile or as cyclist-friendly . However, scientific research indicates that different groups of cyclists show varying preferences of which aspects of cycling infrastructure are most relevant when choosing
7665-602: The harbour." This cycling-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cycleway Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths , bike lanes , cycle tracks , rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks . Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except where cyclists are barred such as many freeways/motorways . It includes amenities such as bike racks for parking, shelters, service centers and specialized traffic signs and signals. The more cycling infrastructure,
7770-532: The implementation of such a scheme. Even without shared street implementation, creating 30 km/h zones (or 20 mph zone ) has been shown to reduce crash rates and increase numbers of cyclists and pedestrians. Other studies have revealed that lower speeds reduce community severance caused by high speed roads. Research has shown that there is more neighborhood interaction and community cohesion when speeds are reduced to 20 mph. German research indicates that making one-way streets two-way for cyclists results in
7875-472: The increasing traffic and the ancient city plan, traffic congestion is a common phenomenon in and around Utrecht, causing elevated levels of air pollutants . This has led to a passionate debate in the city about the best way to improve the city's air quality. Utrecht has an industrial port located on the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal . The container terminal has a capacity of 80,000 containers a year. In 2003,
7980-548: The jurisdiction and organization, while many just list the types by their commonly used names Cyclists are legally allowed to travel on many roadways in accordance with the rules of the road for drivers of vehicles . A bicycle boulevard or cycle street is a low speed street which has been optimized for bicycle traffic. Bicycle boulevards discourage cut-through motor vehicle traffic but allow local motor vehicle traffic. They are designed to give priority to cyclists as through-going traffic. A shared lane marking , also known as
8085-566: The larger station area redevelopment plan and in 2014 gained additional halls that allowed its merger with the rock club Tivoli and the SJU jazzpodium. There are several other venues for music throughout the city. Young musicians are educated in the conservatory , a department of the Utrecht School of the Arts . There is a specialised museum of automatically playing musical instruments. There are many art galleries in Utrecht. There are also several foundations to support art and artists. Training of artists
8190-506: The main hub of the Dutch railway network . With the Industrial Revolution finally gathering speed in the Netherlands and the ramparts taken down, Utrecht began to grow far beyond its medieval centre. When the Dutch government allowed the bishopric of Utrecht to be reinstated by Rome in 1853, Utrecht became the centre of Dutch Catholicism once more. From the 1880s onward, neighbourhoods such as Oudwijk, Wittevrouwen , Vogelenbuurt to
8295-579: The moat ringing the old town is largely intact. In the 1970s part of the moat was converted into a motorway. It was then converted back into a waterway, the work being finished in 2020. Because of the role of Utrecht as a fortified city, construction outside the medieval centre and its city walls was restricted until the 19th century. Surrounding the medieval core there is a ring of late-19th- and early-20th-century neighbourhoods, with newer neighbourhoods positioned farther out. The eastern part of Utrecht remains fairly open. The Dutch Water Line , moved east of
8400-400: The more people get about by bicycle. Good road design, road maintenance and traffic management can make cycling safer and more useful . Settlements with a dense network of interconnected streets tend to be places for getting around by bike . Their cycling networks can give people direct, fast, easy and convenient routes. The history of cycling infrastructure starts from shortly after
8505-716: The most senior Dutch Roman Catholic leader. His ecclesiastical province covers the whole kingdom. Utrecht is also the see of the archbishop of the Old Catholic Church , titular head of the Union of Utrecht , and the location of the offices of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands , the main Dutch Protestant church. As of 2013, the largest religion is Christianity with 28% of the population being Christian, followed by Islam with 9.9% in 2016 and Hinduism with 0.8%. Religions in Utrecht (2013) The city of Utrecht
8610-490: The population consists of people with a recent migration background from Western countries, while 24.8% of the population has at least one parent who is of 'non-Western origin' (8.8% from Morocco, 4% Turkey, 3% Surinam and Dutch Caribbean and 9.1% of other countries). Utrecht has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the 8th century. Currently it is the see of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht ,
8715-544: The population lives in a 15-minute city and more than 90% can get to the major destination types within 10 minutes. In 2014, the city council decided to build the world's largest bicycle parking station , near the Central Railway Station . This three-floor construction cost over €30 million and can hold 12,500 bicycles. The bicycle parking station was built in stages, with the first part opening in August 2017, and
8820-454: The port facilitated the transport of four million tons of cargo; mostly sand, gravel, fertiliser and fodder. Additionally, some tourist boat trips are organised from various places on the Oudegracht; and the city is connected to touristic shipping routes through sluices. Production industry constitutes a small part of the economy of Utrecht. The economy of Utrecht depends for a large part on
8925-820: The position of having to "run" red lights if no motorized vehicle arrives to trigger a signal change. Some cities use urban adaptive traffic control systems (UTCs), which use linked traffic signals to manage traffic in response to changes in demand. There is an argument that using a UTC system merely to provide for increased capacity for motor traffic will simply drive growth in such traffic. However, there are more direct negative impacts. For instance, where signals are arranged to provide motor traffic with so-called green waves , this can create "red waves" for other road users such as cyclists and public transport services. Traffic managers in Copenhagen have now turned this approach on its head and are linking cyclist-specific traffic signals on
9030-415: The presence of a large university. About 52% of the population is female, 48% is male. The majority of households (52.5%) in Utrecht are single-person households. About 29% of people living in Utrecht are either married, or have another legal partnership. About 3% of the population of Utrecht is divorced. For 62.8% of the population of Utrecht both parents were born in the Netherlands. Approximately 12.4% of
9135-408: The railway station, the station's bus stops are changing frequently. As a general rule, westbound buses depart from the bus station on the west entrance, other buses from the east side station. Local buses in Utrecht are operated by Qbuzz ; its services include a high-frequency service to the Uithof university district. The local bus fleet is one of Europe's cleanest, using only buses compliant with
9240-1104: The red signal phase. On large roundabouts of the design typically used in the UK and Ireland, cyclists have an injury accident rate that is 14–16 times that of motorists. Research indicates that excessive sightlines at uncontrolled intersections compound these effects. In the UK, a survey of over 8,000 highly experienced and mainly adult male Cyclists Touring Club members found that 28% avoided roundabouts on their regular journey if at all possible. The Dutch CROW guidelines recommend roundabouts only for intersections with motorized traffic up to 1500 per hour. To accommodate greater volumes of traffic, they recommend traffic light intersections or grade separation for cyclists. Examples of grade separation for cyclists include tunnels, or more spectacularly, raised "floating" roundabouts for cyclists. How traffic signals are designed and implemented directly impacts cyclists. For instance, poorly adjusted vehicle detector systems, used to trigger signal changes, may not correctly detect cyclists. This can leave cyclists in
9345-524: The right to appoint new bishops. In 1559 the bishopric of Utrecht was raised to archbishopric to make it the religious centre of the Northern ecclesiastical province in the Seventeen Provinces. The transition from independence to a relatively minor part of a larger union was not easily accepted. To quell uprisings, Charles V struggled to exert his power over the city's citizens who had struggled to gain
9450-487: The roadway and sidewalk (e.g. barriers, parking or bollards). And it includes bike paths in their own right of way exclusive to cycling. Paths which are shared with pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic are not considered segregated and are typically called shared use path , multi-use path in North America and shared-use footway in the UK. On major roads, segregated cycle tracks lead to safety improvements compared with cycling in traffic. There are concerns over
9555-607: The roadway with motor vehicles— bicycle boulevard , sharrow , advisory bike lane—or shared with pedestrians— shared use paths and greenways . The term bikeway is largely used in North America to describe all routes that have been designed or updated to encourage more cycling or make cycling safer. In some jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, segregated cycling facility is sometimes preferred to describe cycling infrastructure which has varying degrees of separation from motorized traffic, or which has excluded pedestrian traffic in
9660-462: The safety of " road diets " (motor traffic lane restrictions) for bike lanes found in summary that crash frequencies at road diets in the period after installation were 6% lower, road diets do not affect crash severity, or result in a significant change in crash types. This research was conducted by looking at areas scheduled for conversion before and after the road diet was performed. While also comparing similar areas that had not received any changes. It
9765-534: The safety of cycle tracks and lanes at junctions due to collisions between turning motorists and cyclists, particularly where cycle tracks are two-way. The safety of cycle tracks at junctions can be improved with designs such as cycle path deflection (between 2 m and 5 m) and protected intersections . At multi-lane roundabouts, safety for cyclists is compromised. The installation of separated cycle tracks has been shown to improve safety at roundabouts. A Cochrane review of published evidence found that there
9870-482: The several large institutions located in the city. It is the centre of the Dutch railway network and the location of the head office of Nederlandse Spoorwegen . ProRail is headquartered in De Inktpot [ nl ] (The Inkwell), the largest brick building in the Netherlands (the "UFO" featured on its façade stems from an art program in 2000). Rabobank , a large bank, has its headquarters in Utrecht. Utrecht
9975-412: The studio incubator program Dutch Game Garden , which has launched a number of studios in the area. By 2014 the program had created 200 jobs. Utrecht is also home to Nixxes Software (a PlayStation Studios subsidiary) as well as Sokpop Collective . Utrecht hosts several large institutions of higher education. The most prominent of these is Utrecht University (est. 1636), the largest university of
10080-569: The system of feudalism , the Bishops of Utrecht came to exercise worldly power as prince-bishops . The territory of the bishopric not only included the modern province of Utrecht (Nedersticht, 'lower Sticht '), but also extended to the northeast. The feudal conflict of the Middle Ages heavily affected Utrecht. The prince-bishopric was involved in almost continuous conflicts with the Counts of Holland and
10185-403: The tendency of all vehicle users to stay in the center of their lane, it would be necessary to sub-divide the cycle lane with a broken white line to facilitate safe overtaking. Overtaking is indispensable for cyclists, as speeds are not dependent on the legal speed limit, but on the rider's capability. The use of such lanes is specifically endorsed by Cycling: the way ahead for towns and cities ,
10290-510: The thousands of such implementations worldwide all show casualty reductions and most also show reduced journey times. After the partial conversion of London's Kensington High Street to shared space, accidents decreased by 44% (the London average was 17%). However, in July 2018, the UK 'paused' all further shared space schemes over fears that a scheme dependent on eye-contact between drivers and pedestrians
10395-403: The town became ever more canalized ; and the wharf system was built as an inner city harbour system. On the wharfs, storage facilities ( werfkelders ) were built, on top of which the main street, including houses, was constructed. The wharfs and the cellars are accessible from a platform at water level with stairs descending from the street level to form a unique structure. The relations between
10500-569: Was built by Dudok . In addition to theatres, there is a large number of cinemas including three arthouse cinemas. Utrecht is host to the international Early Music Festival (Festival Oude Muziek, for music before 1800) and the Netherlands Film Festival . The city has an important classical music hall Vredenburg (1979 by Herman Hertzberger ). Its acoustics are considered among the best of the 20th-century original music halls. The original Vredenburg music hall has been redeveloped as part of
10605-405: Was constructed along the main branch of the river Rhine , which at that time traversed a more northern route (now known as the Kromme Rijn ) compared to today's Rhine flow. These fortresses were designed to house a cohort of about 500 Roman soldiers. Near the fort, settlements grew that housed artisans , traders and soldiers' wives and children. In Roman times, the name of the Utrecht fortress
10710-429: Was developed as an extension of the city to the west. The area surrounding Utrecht Centraal railway station and the station itself were developed following modernist ideas of the 1960s, in a brutalist style. This development led to the construction of the shopping mall Hoog Catharijne [ nl ] , the music centre Vredenburg ( Hertzberger , 1979), and conversion of part of the ancient canal structure into
10815-638: Was limited evidence to conclude whether cycling infrastructure improves cyclist safety. Different countries have different ways to legally define and enforce bikeways. Some detractors argue that one must be careful in interpreting the operation of dedicated or segregated bikeways/cycle facilities across different designs and contexts; what works for the Netherlands will not necessarily work elsewhere, or claiming that bikeways increase urban air pollution. Other transportation planners consider an incremental, piecemeal approach to bike infrastructure buildout ineffective and advocate for complete networks to be built in
10920-453: Was simply Traiectum , denoting its location at a possible Rhine crossing. Traiectum became Dutch Trecht; with the U from Old Dutch "uut" (downriver) added to distinguish U-trecht from Maas-tricht , on the river Meuse . In 11th-century official documents, it was Latinized as Ultra Traiectum. Around the year 200, the wooden walls of the fortification were replaced by sturdier tuff stone walls, remnants of which are still to be found below
11025-412: Was unavoidably dangerous to pedestrians with visual impairments. Utrecht Utrecht ( / ˈ j uː t r ɛ k t / YOO -trekt , Dutch: [ˈytrɛxt] ; Utrecht dialect : Ut(e)reg [ˈyt(ə)ʁɛχ] ) is the fourth-largest city of the Netherlands , as well as the capital and the most populous city of the province of Utrecht . The municipality of Utrecht
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