Amsterdam has gone one step further to cement its reputation as the most bike-friendly city in the world, appointing
the world’s first ever bicycle mayor (
fietsburgemeester). Amsterdam’s chief cyclist, Ms. Anna Luten will promote and protect cycling in the city, acting as a go-between connecting city hall, cyclists, community groups and anyone who might be affected by new measures designed to improve citizens’ cycling experience. What is essentially an independent NGO, Ms. Luten won’t have direct executive power. What she will have, however, is an open ear both to the authorities and to ordinary cyclists, giving them the ability to advocate for better conditions, shape policy and fight for a better deal.
“We are really far ahead in Amsterdam” Ms. Luten says. “There are so many bikes – an estimated 1 million for a population of 1.1 million. But there is a tendency now to see bikes as a problem. People don’t see the magic of it anymore, because they’re so used to it. We need to keep promoting bike culture, to show that cycling is an amazing way of commuting and transportation.”
