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Aramira137 t1_j64qk2t wrote

I absolutely love this. But I do wonder how cities like Amsterdam are for disabled people (and parents of babies for that matter). Are people who cannot bicycle just left out of society? Do they have to exclusively take taxis?

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MadKerbalScientist t1_j65j70b wrote

My mom had to spend some time in one of those mobility scooters after surgery here in the Netherlands.

Praised the bike infrastructure even more than she did on a bicycle.

You can ride your mobility scooter on the bike lane, where you're not held back by people walking slowly on the sidewalk, nor in danger of being hit by a car on the road. Bike paths are wide enough for cyclists to go around the mobility scooter and the vast majority won't mind doing so.

As for babies, we often put them in special seats on our bicycles, or use a so called "bakfiets" which has a nice big cargo area for the kid to sit in. These are also great for cargo in general, I've transported 19" servers in one before. For longer distances you can use the train, or of course a car.

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Alexanderdaw t1_j64ydvn wrote

There's a government service where they pay 3 Euro to go somewhere. Works all around the country, it even fits your walking machine or elderly scooter.

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Frifelt t1_j650m5g wrote

I live in Copenhagen which is very comparable to Amsterdam. We have great public transport with busses, trains and metro so it’s easy to get around even if you are not biking. There’s space in all of these for prams and wheelchairs. More importantly, obviously people can still take their cars. These cities are not car free utopias. I have lived here for more than 20 years and I’m in my 40s. I’ve never owned a car nor do I miss having one, but it’s not uncommon to own a car and a lot of carowners will still frequently bike or take public transport as it’s just easier and faster.

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alisdairmills t1_j6564ws wrote

You will often encounter mobility scooters on the bike paths so guess it is quite a plus to have such an extensive and connected network of segregated bike paths to use to independently navigate your city. There's also very good public transport and car infrastructure too. As for babies - they just go on the bike as the other reply said.

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Aramira137 t1_j65t2z2 wrote

That's wicked. I've been to a few pedestrian heavy places which were just awful for anyone with any kind of mobility issue (or who were pushing strollers).

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mikepictor t1_j683dsh wrote

Bike paths can be used by mobility scooters and mini cars (literally one-seaters). It actually has excellent mobility options for the disabled.

Access to stores is tougher because lots of buildings (mostly in the centrum) still have narrow stairs and narrow doors.

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DeTrotseTuinkabouter t1_j687rnl wrote

I'd say it differs. First of all: you don't have to bike. We stil have cars. We have buses. We have trams. Etc. Thinking that you are left out of society if you don't bike is a very odd notion. Biking is simply nice and convenient.

In terms of accessibility the Netherlands is not as good as for example the USA is in some matters - their disability act is really great. Having said that: one benefit in Amsterdam is that it's a compact, walkable, bike-friendly city. And I reckon that often lends itself well to being disabled. You don't have to worry about driving somewhere, you can just walk (or roll) to the supermarket. But no personal experience!

For parents it differs what they do! Often they'll still have a car for some stuff (cars in general are common, just less necessary). But you can also put your kid on your bike with you, there are special bike seats for kids that you can put on your bike, very akin to a car seat. And bakfietsen (bin bikes) are very popular for parents with young children. You just put the kids in the bin. Kids also learn to bike from a young age.

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