Reporting Back from ACT's Netherlands Delegation
This month, ACT brought a delegation of 18 professionals to the Netherlands for five days of immersion in Dutch mobility culture.
The results? New inspiration, outside-the-box ideas, and many takeaways to share. Check out a few highlights from the trip below!
Day One - Welcome to the Netherlands
The week began with a meeting centered around Dutch corporate engagement on sustainable mobility. There, delegates connected Anders Reizen, a coalition of organizations advancing mode shift and emission reductions. Then, it was time to dive into shifting toward Mobility as a Service. Speakers shared key insights about Mobility on Demand, integrated mobility platforms, and mobility hubs.
To set the stage for the rest of the week, delegates then joined a guided evening cruise through the canals of Utrecht. Though this day was truly action-packed, it was just the beginning!
Day Two - Cycling, Behavior Change, and Integrated Mobility
Day two continued the momentum with a focus on cycling, behavior change, and integrated mobility. The morning began with a walking tour of Utrecht with Melissa Bruntlett of Modacity Creative. Highlights included the world's largest bike parking facility, Utrecht Central Station, and more.
The delegation then heard from Dutch mobility experts about how employer-led programs, behavioral incentives, and cycling promotion are reshaping commuting in the Netherlands. The afternoon featured a bike tour to experience the Dutch commute with Melissa Bruntlett and Arjan Breider. Next up was a look at how Dutch National Railways engages employers.
Finally, delegates and local professionals connected for an evening of pétanque and networking!
Day Three - People Over Cars
Day three of the TDM Delegation to the Netherlands centered around the concept of people over cars. It was off to a new location, the city of Delft, where programming began with a bike tour around Delft station. The morning continued with coffee and tea with Mobycon, a Dutch consultancy firm with a focus on transportation.
Then, it was time for a panel discussion about housing, rail, and the employee commute. Delegates learned from subject matter experts about housing growth, employer mobility engagement, and national infrastructure investment.
It was then off to another bike tour, this time of infill development and mobility. The group explored new land development opportunities, multimodal street design, and traffic circulation plans.
Next, delegates traveled to The Hague, where they heard from the National Transport Ministry about its long-range policy, Mobiliteitsvisie 2050, national cycling policy, and more. The evening concluded with a networking reception with delegates and local professionals.
Day Four - Transit, Streets, and the Employer District
The fourth day of ACT's Netherlands Delegation centered around transit, streets, and the employer district. Programming began with a tour of the redesigned train station at Amsterdam Centraal, where delegates explored features including new traffic circulation, bike network connectivity, and more.
Then, it was off to a meeting with Vervoerregio Amsterdam for an overview of Samen Bouwen aan Bereikbaarheid, which aims to future-proof the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area's transport network through 2040. Next, delegates traveled to Zuidas Business District, which is often called the "Financial Mile.""They visited a large-scale model of current and future plans for the district and enjoyed a walking tour around it.
Understanding the mobility needs of employees was on the afternoon agenda, and speakers Jetske Mulder, Yara Stufkens, and Stijn de Vries had insights to share! There was great discussion about employee behavior, benefit policy changes, and methods to encouraging non-driving work trips.
The evening concluded with a lively networking reception for delegates and local professionals.
Day Five - TDM for Major Events
Day five of ACT's Netherlands delegation was all about TDM for Major Events. This day was the perfect culmination of ACT's focus on mobility, special events, and venues from the past year.
Programming began with a site tour of Johan Cruijff Arena. There, delegates learned how Dutch mobility innovation is leading the way in fan and visitor access. Speakers included Ydze Rijff, Roy Hirs, Stephan Poelsma, and Willem-Frederik Metzelaar, who led great discussion about transit and biking connections to major destinations and world-class events throughout Europe. Delegates also heard about the Stadium Cities initiative, which was launched this year to connect stadium districts from throughout Europe.
This opportunity was a fitting end to our time in the Netherlands.
Thank you to the incredible speakers who connected with us, and to each of the delegates for being part of this trip!
ACT's delegation included: John Andoh, Andy Boenau, Jeremy Burdett, Rachel Jallits, Kathryn Hagerman Medina, Brendon Harrington, Sarah Hollis, William Hutchison, Andy Keeton, Valerie Kramer, Dennis L.aming, Patrick Le, Chinmay Malaviya, Courtney Menjivar, Casey Murphy, Jeffrey Rosenblum, Abbie Spector, David Straus, Caitlin Styrczula, Ian Todreas, and Albert Vogl-Bader.