Amsterdam will extend its ban on fatbikes in Vondelpark after the measure cut usage by over 85 percent, city officials announced on Wednesday.
Before the ban, 85 to 101 fatbikes were observed in the park during 150-minute periods, according to city data. That number dropped to between 6 and 14 after the restriction took effect nearly six months ago. Elise Moeskops, the alderman for mobility and public space, said riders shifted to alternative routes without increasing nuisance elsewhere. “Amsterdammers with fatbikes are choosing alternative routes, perceived nuisance has decreased, and Amsterdammers find the Vondelpark more pleasant since the ban,” Moeskops stated .
The city has issued 167 fines and 138 warnings to fatbike users in Vondelpark since the ban began. Twenty penalties were challenged, but all objections were denied, though appeals remain possible. A separate legal case contesting the park’s fatbike-free designation is still pending .
Despite the ban’s success, Amsterdam will not expand it to other parks or neighborhoods. Moeskops said the city is awaiting national legislation on fatbikes, including potential minimum age requirements, helmet mandates, and municipal powers to create fatbike-free zones. “I eagerly await national legislation for fatbikes. The fatbike ban will therefore remain in place, but only in Vondelpark,” she added .
Enschede introduced a broader fatbike ban two months before Amsterdam’s Vondelpark restriction, making it the first Dutch city to do so .
