To underline the importance of cycling to the Netherlands, State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven of Infrastructure and Water Management nominated on Monday Dutch cycling culture for the national intangible heritage list.

The Netherlands is a country of cyclists, with Dutch people collectively cycling about 15 billion kilometers per year, meaning that bikes are used for more than a quarter of journeys made in the country. Van Veldhoven therefore nominated Dutch cycling culture to the national intangible heritage list during the inauguration of the world's largest bicycle parking facility.

Dozens of spectators watched the grand opening of the bicycle parking facility at the "Stationsplein" at Central Station of Utrecht, the fourth largest city of the Netherlands.

"Today, Utrecht celebrates the opening of the largest bicycle parking facility in the world," van Veldhoven said. "It's an important moment and one to celebrate because the number of travelers is growing and continues to grow."

One part of the bicycle parking facility of three floors already opened in 2017, but with the opening of the second part, the parking in Utrecht can really call itself the largest in the world with space for a total of 12,500 bikes. In addition, the parking facility also has space for 1,000 public transport bicycles.

"We've already expanded the number of bicycle parking spaces in the Netherlands from 200,000 to 490,000 in recent years and we're certainly not finished yet," van Veldhoven continued. "With the extra money that the government is allocating for this, many more spaces will be created at busy stations throughout the country."

"This city opened the first cycle path in the Netherlands in 1885," added Victor Everhardt, councilor of Utrecht, in central Netherlands, noting "Utrecht wants to be, and will remain, a beautiful, healthy, livable city. That is why we are focusing on cycling as a healthy and sustainable means of transport in a growing city."

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