Cyclists use a bike lane alongside road traffic on Rooseveltlaan in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 2023.
Photographer: Peter Boer/BloombergThe Dutch Intersection Is Coming to Save Your Life
Inspired by road safety innovations widely used in the Netherlands, several US cities are installing street crossings that can better protect pedestrians and bicyclists.
About once a month, Californian advocacy group Bike East Bay organizes classes for adults who forgot, or never learned, the basics of cycling. They’re almost always fully booked, says advocacy director Robert Prinz. During the three-hour sessions, most people get the hang of steering, pedaling and keeping balance. “Then the question becomes, ‘OK, now where do I ride?’” Prinz says.
Participants often express anxiety about riding in traffic. Navigating intersections is especially daunting. There’s the risk of “right hook” crashes, where an inattentive driver turns directly into the path of a cyclist riding straight through a junction. Left turns can mean merging into traffic or waiting in the middle of a vast square of naked asphalt for oncoming traffic to clear. Collisions are common.