In Amsterdam, the main hub of culture and business in The Netherlands, almost 40% of commuters and residents use their bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. In Utrecht, a city southeast of Amsterdam, cyclists account for around 35%.

“The bicycle is the means of transport used most often in Amsterdam,” reports Bike Europe. “Between 2005 and 2007 people in the city used their bikes on average 0.87 times a day, compared to 0.84 for their cars. This is the first time that bicycle use exceeds car use.”

Once again, European cities seem to more naturally adopt sustainable transportation, whereas in North America, our car addiction will be much harder to overcome. However, figures like these out of Amsterdam are inspiring.