The perception is that the Dutch are big cyclists. In fact, the country is home to three times as many bikes as it does people. Many households don’t own a car, and for those who do own cars, it is VERY rare to see two car families.
Here are some pictures from our daughter’s school to illustrate the point.
To be fair, we are in a small town of 26,000 people, not the city center of Den Haag or Amsterdam, but you can see clearly that bikes are the way to go. The teacher parking lot is practically empty. Students, teachers, staff, they all primarily ride their bikes. The school also has a small number of students who ride the bus, either private or public.
Most people live close enough to their work or school to allow for biking. It is seen as a long commute for my husband from our house to his office, which is just over 30 km (about 20 miles). In Houston the same commute would be very standard.
Red, White and Tulips 