The distance the Dutch have been traveling within their country over the last ten years has remained more or less the same, around 11,000 kilometers per person per year. However, the distance traveled on bikes has increased by 7 percent since 2004, according to the Mobility Survey 2014 of the Institute for Transport Policy (KiM).
The car remains the favorite mode of transportation and accounts for about 40 percent of all trips. However, car use has been negatively impacted by the economic crisis and has also declined among adults under 40.
After the car, the bicycle is the next most popular mode of transport in the Netherlands, accounting for a quarter of all trips. The Dutch opt for their bike especially for short trips. According to KiM, the increase in cycling mainly comes from commuting and trips to and from schools and universities. Furthermore, the institute has noted that more women are now using bikes than in the past and the over 60s are also cycling more.
E-bikes are also increasingly popular. About 10 percent of the total population in the Netherlands owns an e-bike, according to a 2013 survey reported by Bike Europe. E-bikes are particularly popular among senior citizens, who own more than a quarter of the e-bikes in the country. In the age group up to 40, only one percent has an e-bike. Among people in their forties, the percentage goes up to 5 percent, and to about 10 percent among people in their fifties. Of all the kilometers traveled by bike, e-bikes account for 12 percent of the total. The average distance traveled by e-bike stands at 6.3 kilometers.
