Editing Transport in the Netherlands (section)

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[[Image:Netherlands.jpg|thumb|270px|Traffic in the Netherlands]]

[[Netherlands|The Netherlands]] is both a [[List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density|very densely populated]] and a highly [[developed country]] in which [[transport]] is a key [[Transport economics|factor of the economy]]. Correspondingly it has a very dense and modern [[infrastructure]], facilitating transport with road, rail, air and water networks. In its [[Global Competitiveness Report]] for 2014-2015, the [[World Economic Forum]] ranked the Dutch transport infrastructure fourth in the world.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://reports.weforum.org/global-competitiveness-report-2014-2015/rankings/#indicatorId=GCI.A.02.01| title = Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 - World Economic Forum}}</ref>

With a total road network of 139,000&nbsp;km, including 3,530&nbsp;km of expressways,<ref name="CIA Roadways">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2085.html#nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004630/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2085.html#nl |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 June 2007 |title=CIA World Factbook &#124; Field listing: Roadways |date=2014 |website=www.cia.gov |publisher=U.S. Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=17 August 2015}}</ref> the Netherlands has one of the densest [[Roads in the Netherlands|road network]]s in the world; much denser than [[Germany]] and [[France]], though not as dense as [[Belgium]].<ref name="WBroaddense">{{cite web |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.ROD.DNST.K2?order=wbapi_data_value_2011%20wbapi_data_value%20wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc |title=Road density (km of road per 100 sq. km of land area) &#124; Data &#124; Table |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2014 |website=Data.worldbank.org |publisher=The World Bank Group |access-date=7 July 2014}}</ref> The Dutch also have a well developed [[Rail transport in the Netherlands|railway network]], that connects most towns and cities, as well as a comprehensive dedicated [[cycling infrastructure]], featuring some 35,000&nbsp;km of track physically segregated from motorised traffic.<ref name="fietsberaad"/>

The [[port of Rotterdam]] is the world's largest seaport outside East Asia, and the largest port of Europe.<ref group=nb>The Rotterdam mainport is about as big as Europe's 2nd and 3rd biggest ports ''combined'', handling roughly the total cargo tonnage as those of [[Port of Antwerp|Antwerp]] plus [[Port of Hamburg|Hamburg]] respectively.</ref><ref name="RPA Stat13">{{cite press release |date=1 June 2014 |title=Port Statistics 2013 |url=http://www.portofrotterdam.com/en/Port/port-statistics/Documents/Port-statistics-2013.pdf |page=8 |publisher=Rotterdam Port Authority |access-date=28 June 2014}}</ref> It connects with its [[hinterland]] in Germany, [[Switzerland]] and France through the rivers [[Rhine]] and [[Meuse]]. Two thirds of all inland water freight shipping within the [[European Union|EU]], and 40% of containers, pass through the Netherlands.<ref name="NFIA Seaports"/> Additionally, the [[port of Amsterdam]] is Europe's fifth busiest seaport, according [[List of busiest ports in Europe|to Eurostat]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maritime transport of goods at port level - quarterly data |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Maritime_transport_of_goods_at_port_level_-_quarterly_data |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=ec.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>

Mobility in the Netherlands is considerable. On the roads it has grown continuously since the 1950s and now exceeds 200 billion km travelled per year,<ref name="SWOV Facts">{{cite press release |title=SWOV Fact sheet &#124; Mobility on Dutch roads |url=http://www.swov.nl/rapport/Factsheets/UK/FS_Mobility.pdf |location=Leidschendam, the Netherlands |publisher=SWOV, Dutch Institute for Road Safety Research |date=July 2013 |access-date=7 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415044922/http://www.swov.nl/rapport/Factsheets/UK/FS_Mobility.pdf |archive-date=15 April 2010 }}</ref> three quarters of which are done by car.<ref name="OECD-ITF">{{cite journal |last1=Waard |first1=Jan van der |last2=Jorritsma |first2=Peter |last3=Immers |first3=Ben |date=October 2012 |title=New Drivers in Mobility: What Moves the Dutch in 2012 and Beyond? |url=http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/DiscussionPapers/DP201215.pdf |location=Delft, the Netherlands |publisher=[[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]] International Transport Forum |access-date=7 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117223717/http://internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/DiscussionPapers/DP201215.pdf |archive-date=17 January 2013 }}</ref> Around half of all trips in the Netherlands are made by car, 25% by bicycle, 20% walking, and 5% by public transport.<ref name="OECD-ITF"/> Additionally, Dutch airports handled at least 70 million passengers in 2016.<ref name="NOS Schiphol64">{{cite web |url=http://nos.nl/artikel/2152140-bijna-64-miljoen-zo-veel-passagiers-zag-schiphol-nog-nooit.html |title=Bijna 64 miljoen—zo veel passagiers zag Schiphol nog nooit – NOS |language=nl |trans-title=Almost 64 million—Schiphol never saw so many passengers – NOS |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109153121/http://nos.nl/artikel/2152140-bijna-64-miljoen-zo-veel-passagiers-zag-schiphol-nog-nooit.html |date=9 January 2017 |website=NOS.nl |publisher=[[Nederlandse Omroep Stichting]] |access-date=9 January 2017| archive-date=9 January 2017}}</ref> Excluding air travel, the Dutch journey more than 30&nbsp;km a day on average, which takes them just over an hour.<ref name="CBS Mobility">{{cite web |url=http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?VW=T&DM=SLNL&PA=81123NED&D1=a&D2=0&D3=0&D4=0-24,38-56&D5=0&D6=l&HD=130830-1204&HDR=G1,G2,G4,G5,T&STB=G3 |title=CBS StatLine - Mobiliteit in Nederland; mobiliteitskenmerken, regio's |language=nl |trans-title=Dutch Statistics Bureau - Mobility Netherlands trips data |date=2013 |website=Statline.cbs.nl |publisher=CBS - Statistics Netherlands |access-date=15 July 2014}}</ref>

In 2010, 1.65 billion tons of goods traffic was registered, half of which moved by sea and inland shipping, and 40% by road transport. The remainder was mostly by pipelines; rail transport only handles 2% of freight movements through the Netherlands.<ref name="CBS Goederen">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/verkeer-vervoer/cijfers/kerncijfers/goederenvervoer-sl.htm |title=CBS StatLine - Goederenvervoer Nederland; vervoerwijzen en -stromen |language=nl |trans-title=Dutch Statistics Bureau - Goods transport Netherlands data |date=2010 |website=Statline.cbs.nl |publisher=CBS - Statistics Netherlands |access-date=15 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140718011053/http://www.cbs.nl/nl-NL/menu/themas/verkeer-vervoer/cijfers/kerncijfers/goederenvervoer-sl.htm |archive-date=18 July 2014 }}</ref>