Final Reflections

It is hard to believe the two weeks are up, but today was the final day for the Sustainable Transportation in the Netherlands. I must say we covered a lot of miles on our bikes, traveling a number of different facilities, biking all over Delft and to other cities such as The Hague, Rotterdam, and Rijswik. We were able to bike around Houten as well, and explored Utrecht on foot. It was a fascinating learning experience stepping out of our limited United States environment and experiencing firsthand what world class cycling facilities can look like. It was interesting to see how the Dutch have adapted to dangerous intersections, incorporated transit through them as well, and how they integrate the bicycle with all modes. I am also grateful to all the city officials, engineers, and other professors at Delft University who took time out of their schedules to show us how they have gotten to this point and what they are still hoping to accomplish. I also want to thank Peter Furth and Jeffrey Rosenblum for accompanying us and sharing their knowledge. I look forward to going to going back home and applying all that I have learned to the streets of New York City.

 

I also cannot stress how I knew absolutely no one going into this trip, but I walk away with many friendships that I hope will last. We had such a good group of people to learn from, travel with, drink a wide variety of beer with, and even share a room with. I also really enjoyed the company of the 20 Northeastern undergrads. They were great to have around, and always had a positive attitude. It was also interesting to learn more about Boston as well. And finally, I must thank Dr. Rob Bertini. He has been extremely helpful with this trip, from the planning aspect, to buying train tickets, giving directions, giving me much needed coffee, and of course answering all my questions. He is a valuable resource and this would not have happened without him!

Im going to miss this people.