There will be a National Picture of the Future Bicycle. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management recently announced this after the administrative consultations with the regions about the investment programs. The Fietsersbond is enthusiastic about this intention.
The letter to the House of Representatives states:
“Central government and the region have jointly expressed the ambition to make the potential of the bicycle, as a fully-fledged modality and solution for a number of social challenges, a more structural part of administrative and financial agreements, both within their own administrative layer and between the various administrative layers. In the Administrative Consultations MIRT 2020, the central government and the region have made process agreements to arrive at a 'National Image of the Future Bicycle (NTF)' through regional bicycle network plans. The aim is to produce an initial outline sketch in March 2021 and a National Future Image for Bicycle (NTF) in September 2021. ”
Breakthrough
The Fietsersbond sees this agreement as a huge breakthrough. Director Esther van Garderen: “It is very nice that State Secretary van Veldhoven has presented this to the regions. In this way, we can finally achieve the desired scale leap in bicycle policy. ”
The realization of such a vision of the future is in line with the Cycling Vision 2040 of the Fietsersbond and Agenda 2.0 of the collaborating parties in the Tour de Force. Van Garderen: “There are big ambitions and the need to realize them is only growing. Consider the enormous housing challenge, the climate crisis, Covid-19 and the vitality of the population. The bicycle can be of great importance in solving these problems in integrated regional programs. ”
The Fietsersbond calls on regions to draw up excellent regional bicycle network plans. Esther van Garderen: “Our local representatives will be happy to make a maximum contribution to this. It is very positive that structural agreements must be made, also financially. Let's make this Future Vision a resounding success together. ”
In the parliamentary elections on 17 March, the Fietsersbond is betting on a billion euros in government money to implement the National Picture of the Future. This reports the Fietsersbond through this press release on their website.
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