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Hackney Cyclist

@hackneycyclist.bsky.social
13K followers 110 following 2.5K posts

Hackney-based. Advocating for cycling that’s as safe, convenient, and comfortable as it is in the Netherlands. I share my own media of Dutch street life, hoping to inspire more liveable communities everywhere.

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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 15m
✅ Low-car city-centre streets ✅ Protected cycle tracks on main roads ✅ Ample cycle parking at shops and huge underground bike parking at the station = Streets safe enough for families to cycle, quieter neighbourhoods for residents and more welcoming cities for visitors. 📍 Delft, the Netherlands
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 20h
Zeedijk, Amsterdam in 1972 and today.
Top image: On the left of the street cars are parked along the kerb. A man in a suit walks along the pavement on the right, and a few other pedestrians are visible further up the street. 

Bottom, today, in colour: the same street, now with motor traffic largely removed. Two men cycle towards the camera in the foreground, and bicycles are parked against the buildings further down. The same leaning gabled rooflines are still visible against the sky.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Goes, Netherlands. The Terwellegang underpass opened in 2020, replacing a nearby level crossing. It includes a cycleway connecting the railway station and city centre with neighbourhoods south of the railway, with cyclists getting priority at every junction and roundabout.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Ginnekenmarkt, Breda in 1974 and today
The top image shows a cobbled square packed with parked cars on all sides, including a Mercedes, a Fiat 500 and a Ford, surrounded by metal railings. Patches of cobbles have been dug up around a central stone water pump. Today the same square, now a packed café terrace. Rows of wicker chairs and tables fill the space where the cars once stood, with people eating and drinking under large furled umbrellas. Mature trees with golden autumn leaves shade the square, and the same stone water pump still stands at the centre.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
No sign of the Social & Environmental justice gang here? How odd?
Google Street view of Arnold Road, with the footways blocked by parked cars
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Gerard Douplein, Amsterdam in 1987 and today
Split-image comparison of Gerard Douplein in Amsterdam, showing the same street in the 1980s and today. The historic black-and-white photo is dominated by parked cars and moving traffic, while the modern colour photo shows the street transformed into a lively public space filled with bicycles, cyclists, pedestrians, trees, cafés and outdoor seating.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Hemonystraat, Amsterdam in 1985 and today
In q985 the road is wide, with two lanes and cars are parked nose to tail along the left-hand kerb in front of tall brick and stone buildings, with more cars parked around the junction on the right. Today the road has been closed to traffic altogether and replaced with a red cycleway, with a wide paved area beyond it. Two men ride side by side along the cycleway past red and white bollards. Mature trees and rows of parked bicycles have replaced the parked cars on the left, and more cyclists cross the junction in the distance.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Fannius Scholtenstraat, Amsterdam in 1983 and today. The reason we have bollards is because drivers can't be trusted to park responsibly.
In 1983 cars are parked tightly on the pavement and across the corner, including a Volkswagen van, a BMW and a white Peugeot. Two women stand between the parked cars. Today the cars have gone from the corner. The paving is brick, with large planters and low green bollards keeping vehicles out. Bicycles are parked along the buildings on both sides, and a blue and yellow shared bike is in the foreground.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Oudezijds Voorburgwal, Amsterdam in 1980 and today
In 1980 cars are parked nose to tail along the left-hand quay, right up to the canal edge, with more parked cars on the far side. Today the parked cars on the left have gone, replaced by a café terrace with umbrellas and diners, and a grassy, overgrown strip now runs along the edge of the canal. Fresh green leaves are on the trees, and bicycles are parked along the far side.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Ginnekenmarkt, Breda in 1978 and today
In 1978 the street is packed with cars, parked and queuing nose to tail. A lorry and a couple of cyclists are stuck among them in the distance. Today the street is now paved in brick with no cars in sight. A woman rides an e-bike towards the camera down the middle of the street.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam in 1981 and today
In the 1981 image there are either two lanes of queueing motor traffic towards the camera or one lane of parked cars and the other lane filled with queuing traffic. Today there is no motor traffic in the image, as through traffic has been removed. There are several people, including children, cycling
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Car-free streets aren’t empty streets, they are full of life. People walking, cycling, browsing market stalls, sitting outside cafés, chatting and enjoying being in their city. Remove the cars, and you make space for people. 📍Middelburg, NL.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Eerste van der Helststraat, Amsterdam, in 1982 and today. A street once dominated by parked cars to a car free place for people, with children playing, greenery and cafés making use of reclaimed outdoor space. This is what’s possible when we choose to redesign our streets for life, not storage.
Split-screen comparison of Eerste van der Helststraat in Amsterdam in 1982 and today. The historical black-and-white photo shows the street with parked cars on both sides of the street, a cyclist and pedestrians. The modern colour photo shows the same street transformed into a car-free public space, with trees, plants, outdoor seating, pedestrians and children playing hopscotch.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Protected cycle tracks are not just for cyclists
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Amstel, Amsterdam in 1979 and today.
Split-screen comparison of the same street in Amsterdam, photographed decades apart. The black-and-white historical photo shows the lined with parked cars and a tram track, while the modern colour photo shows the same street with no car parking. A woman rides a cargo bike with a dog looking out. The tram line has been relocated to a more convenient location.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Floating bus stops are a simple way to make busy streets work better for everyone. Buses do not get held up by cyclists, while people cycling get a continuous, protected route instead of being forced into traffic. Safer cycling, quicker bus journeys and streets that work for people.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A very common sight in the Netherlands: entire classes cycling together with their teachers on school field trips. Made possible because safe, convenient cycle routes are built into the transport network nationwide.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Plenty of bike parking at this swimming pool in Utrecht
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This bridge in Amsterdam, designed by British architects, links IJBurg with the mainland. It has a bidirectional tramway, bidirectional roadway, a bidirectional cycleway - plus space already built in for another cycleway when demand increases. Build for the future, not the past.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Separate cycle tracks alongside rural main roads give the elderly or people with mobility issues far more freedom. Someone on a mobility scooter can travel safely from town to town, without having to rely on a car or public transport. This is what accessible transport infrastructure looks like.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The Dutch don't just build cycle tracks, they build cycle networks. Over motorways, under junctions, then branching off to the gym, football pitches & other local destinations. Safe, direct routes connecting the places people need to go. This is how you make cycling a normal part of everyday life.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
A 3 minute video of me cycling along the seafront in Vlissingen, The Netherlands. Between 2025 and 2026 this road was redeveloped into a pedestrian and cycle only street, with motor traffic now prohibited.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
A bicycle roundabout inside a motor vehicle roundabout
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The traffic lights at Dutch junctions have different signal timings for motor traffic and bikes to minimise conflict, reducing the need for people driving to turn across the path of cyclists. The result is a junction that's safer, less stressful and keeps everyone moving efficiently.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
And until the 1980s, this was a car park. Today it's a pedestrianised square, with the bikes tucked away underground.
Before image shows a square from above filled with parked cars. In the after images there are no parked squares, it is a large pedestrianised square.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
The 1,700 capacity bike parking garage at Beursplein, Amsterdam, provides parking for the area's shops & other destinations. Open 24/7 and always staffed, it's free to park here for up to 24 hours. Bike parking isn't allowed on the surrounding streets or squares, creating more space for pedestrians.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
A new housing development under construction in the Netherlands The cycle infrastructure is already in place, complete with junctions ready to connect to future homes, along with dedicated bus lanes Active and sustainable travel is planned from the very beginning, not bolted on as an afterthought
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
America Street, SE1. A former car park turned into a nice pedestrian and cycle only street. Very nice, Southwark, very nice.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
South Bank, London in 1976 and today
Top image shows South Bank in 1875 with County Hall and the house of Parliament in the background. In the foreground is a large car park. Today, the London Eye can be seen in the background, with a park replacing the car park
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Sometimes the safest way to cycle through a roundabout is to bypass it altogether
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
At this level crossing barriers remove through motor traffic while keeping the route open for people cycling and walking. The road alongside the railway to the station is then restricted to buses and bikes, creating a direct, safe connection into the city centre. 📍Breda, The Netherlands
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Rijssen station in the Netherlands: ample cycle parking, a bus stop right outside, and the quickest way to leave is by bike. Safe cycle infrastructure, including an underpass beneath the road and a turbo roundabout, lets you ride away without having to mix with motor traffic.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Plenty of cycle parking at this swimming pool in Utrecht
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Vredenburg in the heart of Utrecht has one of the busiest cycleways in the Netherlands. With private cars excluded, it's reserved for buses, bikes and pedestrians and it moves tens of thousands of people every day through the city centre. Less space for cars, more space for people.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
However, coming off the Harwich train at Stratford, I used to post photos of how poor the cycling infrastructure was in the Olympic Park. Not anymore, this is genuinely excellent high quality infra, as good as you get in the Netherlands. Newham are building some really great things.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
After over two weeks of lovely, Smooth Dutch cycle routes coming back to Hackneys cycleways was a stark comparison
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Few new additions to my Dutch fridge
Fridge magnets from many Dutch cities
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Tot Ziens
View from the ferry departing Hoek Van Holland
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Cool little shopping trolley that keeps a child entertained whilst you shop
Shopping trolley that is a child's car toy they can sit in with shopping placed on top and behind
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
World Cup ice cream
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Some final bitterballen before I cycle to the ferry back to the UK later this evening
A serving of bitterballen
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Delft when I first visited in 2015 and the same view tonight. Back then the railway had just been moved underground and they were demolishing the old concrete railway viaducts. The city was one huge building site but is much nicer today
Delft in 2015, with a cycle at through a construction site Delft in the same location today, with a well used cycle track
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
@rantyhighwayman.bsky.social oh yes
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Remove car parking, replace with flowers
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
The same street in 1972
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Close your streets to motor vehicles, open them to people (and cats)
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
You can only leave your bike parked for six weeks in this area
Sign in Dutch reads In this area, a maximum continuous parking period of 6 weeks applies.
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
The heat is extremely intense in Amsterdam today so I've been making use of the official cooling spots in the city to cool down, one of which has a drag in Amsterdam exhibition
Image from drag in Amsterdam exhibition
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
At Workcycles HQ
A Workcycles bike with a war on cars sticker on the front crate
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Hackney Cyclist @hackneycyclist.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
In Amsterdam graffiti artists come by boat
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