This is what you need to know in a bicycle street with a car as a guest

You will encounter them in various places in the Netherlands: the bicycle street where cars are guests. These are special streets where cyclists have plenty of space, but where motor vehicles are also allowed to drive. These streets are characterized by the pink color of the stones or asphalt, which makes it look like a large, road-spanning bicycle path. This blog will delve deeper into this traffic phenomenon.

What does “guest car” mean in a bicycle street?

A bicycle street looks like an overgrown bicycle path with the characteristic pink paving. The bicycle streets run through residential areas and shopping streets. The design discourages cars from driving there. This allows slow traffic such as cyclists and pedestrians to travel through these streets calmly. These roads are often part of a commuter or bicycle route. This does not mean that cars are not allowed to drive here at adjusted speeds. So you just have rented a car and suddenly find yourself on a bicycle street? Don't worry: this will not result in a fine.

Is there a sign in the bicycle street saying cars are guests?

In the Netherlands, there is not necessarily a sign with a car as a guest on a bicycle street. This is also not necessary from a legal point of view. Some signs are used on some bicycle streets, where it cannot be indicated with the characteristic colour that it is a bicycle street here. The signs here provide extra information, for example, such as a maximum speed or a ban on overtaking. In Belgium, you will find a sign in a bicycle street that indicates the start of the bicycle zone. In Belgium, cyclists are also allowed to use the entire half of the road to cycle and extra markings are therefore more important.

What are the rules in a bicycle street?

The aim of the bicycle street is to provide a safe connection for cyclists between places A and B, partly to encourage more people to take their bicycle instead of their car. Read more about ways to drive in an environmentally friendly way hereThere are a number of rules when using the bicycle street:

• The bicycle street must be part of a bicycle route.
• The bicycle street must be made recognizable by pink stones or asphalt.
• Any signage indicates that it is a bicycle street.
• Cyclists must ride as far to the right as possible
• Cyclists are allowed to ride with a maximum of two people abreast, provided they do not cause a nuisance to other road users.
• Speed ​​of motor vehicles has been adjusted.

Furthermore, the normal traffic rules apply in this special street. For example, texting and calling while cycling has been prohibited since 2019. Read more about this rule hereThis is a general traffic rule in the Netherlands and it also applies to special bicycle streets.

Bicycle street maximum speed

Motor vehicles may encounter additional speed restrictions on a bicycle street, such as a maximum speed. In general, a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour already applies on a bicycle street.

Is it allowed for a guest car to overtake in a bicycle street?

The design of the bicycle street clearly shows that motorists are guests. That is why they must also take cyclists into account. For example, cars may only overtake cyclists if this is safe. Otherwise, the motorist must continue to follow the cyclist. However, there may also be an overtaking ban in a bicycle street, but this is indicated by special traffic signs.