Although the bicycle has existed longer than the car, it remained common for a long time for both to use the same lane. However, as car numbers increased and speeds began to diverge more and more, this became increasingly inconvenient and dangerous, particularly for cyclists. In the years around 1970, the overall traffic problem, with approximately 3,000 traffic fatalities per year, got so out of hand that protests erupted and people demanded change. Space specifically for cyclists had existed in a handful of places for nearly 100 years, but apart from a sign or post, it was otherwise identical to the other roads in the vicinity. And until then, there was certainly no question of a bicycle network.
The first real one!
In Tilburg, (The Netherlands) an interesting situation was experienced in the mid-1970s. The city, actually consisting of about 10 villages and small hamlets with a considerable amount of textile industry in between—which by that time was already past its peak—had to change. People were already swarming from A to B every day. And although the city's livability was not held in very high regard to begin with, a significant growth spurt was still expected, resulting in additional traffic chaos. The ring roads that had already been constructed did not bring the relief that had been hoped for. And the small streets within the urban fabric, which had originated as small villages in the past, offered hardly any space at all, let alone for the increasing demand for mobility.
In the years around 1970, therefore, quite a lot came together in Tilburg. An urban planning team was assembled within the civil service, the precursor to the traffic academy was established in Tilburg simultaneously, and the growing pains within the city became increasingly paralyzing. Something had to be done. A small group of people from various organizations proposed jointly pursuing a piece of infrastructure that only cyclists were allowed to use. After brief consultation, it became a pilot route running from east to west through the city, featuring priority intersections, viaducts and bridges, separate cycle lanes, and, in some places, cycle streets. But it also had to be realized quickly! After all, 25 million guilders had been reserved for 1976. A hard deadline. Immediately afterwards, they would begin collecting data as research into what would and would not work. So that, with that data, they could start improving the entire city.
The works were started with great urgency. And that is how the color of the bicycle paths came about. The aesthetics committee preferred yellow, but inquiries with the manufacturer revealed that this was the most expensive possible color for the intended “paving tiles.” And not only that. That color was not in stock at the time. “Red” was in stock, however. As a remnant of something else, there was still some of it lying on the factory grounds. But even that color would actually have been significantly more expensive than the standard gray color. After careful consultation, the price for this Tilburg demonstration project could be lowered. Still slightly more expensive than the standard gray, but already well over half as cheap as the yellow intended by the aesthetics committee. And so it happened. The bicycle paths became “red.”
Or well, “red.” The red pigment in the light grey concrete tiles was applied as a top layer and, like so many red pigments at the time, ultimately did not withstand sunlight very well. And so, red turned more like pink right at the factory, and with prolonged use, became more of a faint pink color.
Red or pink.
While not many pigments were added to the light grey concrete tiles, and they were also only applied as a top layer, the situation is slightly different with asphalt. Pink asphalt only became a reality years after the first pink cycle paths made of sidewalk tiles. So, one could already see what the sun did to the color. Initially, it concerned asphalt cycle paths that were originally part of the original asphalt road surface, but where the cycle lanes were simply painted with a red-pink color. For various practical reasons, a somewhat darker red/pink shade was used for this than was the case with the tiles from the factory. Later, when asphalt with a mixed red-pink tint began to be laid, they once again arrived at that somewhat darker red/pink shade, simply because the asphalt itself is already darker in color than a concrete tile.
What we learn from this is that practical considerations predominate in the color scheme of a bicycle path. In any case, no thick research reports were involved regarding aesthetics, responsible use of color, and the best effects on humans and animals, to name just a few. Furthermore, more than 50 years after the first red bicycle path, no RAL color has been agreed upon for bicycle paths. Certainly not on a national level. And to this day, no truly colorfast/UV-resistant pigments or materials are used. So, on a sunny or rainy day, the color can appear quite different on both brand-new and decades-old paths. Generally, the asphalt is slightly darker in color compared to the concrete block paving, usually 30 x 30 tiles.
Execution
Another area where a pragmatic rather than rigid approach is taken is the execution of the bicycle path. There are now desirable widths per lane, but if the surroundings do not offer the space, deviations can be made just as easily. There is a preference for a separate cycle path over the carriageway for motorized traffic, simply because a physical separation, such as a raised curb, genuinely increases safety, particularly for cyclists. However, especially in the 1990s and even 30 years later, cycle suggestion strips are still painted on asphalt in numerous places.
What can be said is that asphalt cycle paths are generally encountered as the aforementioned cycle suggestion strips on asphalt roads, or as completely separate cycle paths. These are usually found with hardly any cables or pipes underneath. For where there are many cables and pipes, such as on a random access road within a built-up area, sidewalk tiles or other pink concrete element paving are still more desirable.
In Belgium, too, we are seeing the red/pink color slowly but surely reappear more and more frequently. There, too, the differences in tint can be traced back to the colors of the base material and the long-term influence of sunlight. In Belgium, as of 2026, we still see situations with concrete or asphalt grey cycle paths more frequently than in the Netherlands, where the red/pink color is almost always maintained. In Germany, they are not yet keen on striking colors. In many places there, cycle lanes are indicated only by lines on otherwise concrete or asphalt grey roads. This is the case in more European countries. In some countries, they seem to be opting for green cycle paths, perhaps a current trend, although in those countries the red color is sometimes already reserved for bus lanes and/or space for emergency services. In Denmark, cycle paths are increasingly blue in color. That color was chosen there after research into what would work best based on various parameters. Whether price was a significant factor in this decision is unknown.
In any case, Markenburg is starting work today to offer more elements for modeling cycling infrastructure. For one conclusion that can certainly be drawn is that cycling infrastructure of any significant standard should not be lacking in the more or less modern built environment. And perhaps we can all still learn something from the pragmatic approach that brought so much that was new, yet also effective and valuable, to Tilburg in the 1970s.
Find here: theme Pavements, with increasing possibilities for cycling infrastructure.
