How the Dutch got their Bicycle paths

The Netherlands is well known for its excellent cycling infrastructure. How did the Dutch get this network of bicycle paths?
Read more: http://bicycledutch.wordpress.com

thanks, Presurfer

More than ever, American cities are casting their gazes across the Atlantic for fresh ideas and inspiration when it comes to making bicycling safer, more convenient and more practical for everyday short trips. No place in the world has more experience with bicycle transportation than the Netherlands, where more than a quarter of every trip made is on two wheels. But bicycling isn't ingrained in Dutch DNA. The Netherlands became a global leader because of very deliberate choices made by city leaders and traffic planners that made bicycle transportation a real priority, backed up with supportive policy, funding and state-of-the-art design. A delegation of city officials from Chicago, Washington DC and Miami visited Holland in search of great ideas to bring home.