Good Cycling Facility of the Week: 13th November 2014

Underpasses tend to have a bad reputation in Britain, but they can be done well, as this example in Utrecht shows.

The key elements are good visibility, and a clear route through, for better social safety. The underpass is also nice and wide, with clear separation between pedestrians and cyclists.

Underpasses also have a number of advantages over bridges. Rather than accommodating the height of large motor vehicles (as with a bridge), an underpass only has to accommodate the height of a human being, so the height gain and loss is much smaller. 

In addition, underpasses allow people to use the speed they have picked up on the descent into the underpass to make their way up the incline on the other side. By contrast, bridges do not have this advantage. 

Read more about underpasses on David Hembrow's website