"Even in Amsterdam, a place where everyone seems to travel by two wheels, Anna Luten didn't expect to
become the city's first Bike Mayor.
"Luten, who now works for the manufacturer Giant Bicycles as a brand manager, won the independent post
by popular vote last June, becoming the first municipal Bike Mayor in the world.
"It's all part of a program created by the cycling advocacy group CycleSpace, which hopes to make Luten a
model for other such positions in cities around the globe, in a bid to raise awareness and promote better
transportation planning around the globe.
Anna, do you think the bike mayor concept is exportable to other cities?
"Well, I hope so, because in February I am moving to New York to begin the process of setting up the city with a
bike mayor program of its own. Working there is going to be fascinating, not least because they have a different
style of cycling. I think that's partly because, compared to Amsterdam, the distances are so vast. I found Brooklyn
a more relaxed environment for cycling, perhaps sometimes even better than Amsterdam, but in Manhattan it's
very different. There, cyclists often avoid major streets and find quieter back routes, trading a slower journey time
for more safety and less stress. Setting up the project may be a challenge, but it's somehow perfect that the bike
mayor concept is moving from Amsterdam to New Amsterdam."
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