Transportation and Infrastructure
Trains and Trams
The AMA has striven to make multiple means of locomotion efficient and accessible. From planes, trains, trams, buses, ferries, electric cars, highways, and my personal (and the Dutch's) favorite, bicycle. All public transportation is conducted by GVB, an independent corporation now owned by the city of Amsterdam since 2007. An estimated 700,000 trips are made by bus, tram, or metro every day. According to GVB, there are four metro routes serving 52 metro stations. The trams are electric and produce no exhaust fumes so they're great for narrow streets. Starting from the Centraal Station in the old city of Amsterdam, you can get just about anywhere in Holland. Between the tram and the metro, it's easy to get in-between the big cities of the Randstad or to Schiphol airport. |
Ferries and Water Taxis
A ferry boat has taken people from Central Station in Amsterdam across the river Ij to Amsterdam Noord for over 100 years, helping serve the businesses and residences of the port area. River taxis also take people up and down the river. a very pleasant way to see the city. |
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Biking |
Despite being a very dense region, somehow overall congestion and traffic are much less than similarly sized European cities. This was accomplished by investment into an alternative form of transportation....the glorious bicycle! By and large the most pleasant way to see the city and the countryside is by bicycle. Bicycling is the national way of getting around. In the city of Amsterdam, an estimated 58% of people bike daily! There are actually more bikes in the city (881,000) than people!For more fun facts on transportation, click here. How did biking in the Netherlands become so popular? Traffic and congestion, increasing deaths from motor accidents, mass protests from the people, and the increasing costs of fuel caused the Dutch government to change its policies and invest in bicycle infrastructure in the 1960's and '70's. To learn more, watch the video. |