This summer Dr. Billy Fields, Associate Professor of Texas State’s Department of Political Science, led a Sustainability Transportation Policy Study Abroad program in the Netherlands. Twelve students participated, making it the third year of research. Students explored the Netherlands’ interconnectivity as they did biking tours through Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Delft. Major areas of focus include infrastructure and connectivity, service learning, and international policy transfer. The study abroad program was organized by faculty advisors of Texas State’s International Sustainable Transportation Engagement Program, I-STEP.
The team of students explored the Netherlands through the lens of sustainable transportation with the aim of transferring effective policy into the context of the United States. They focused on the role of dedicated facilities for walking, biking, and public transit as an overall approach to solving current and future transportation needs. “In Amsterdam, half or more people use dedicated facilities by walking, and that number increases to over 70% if you include public transit,” Dr. Fields commented. Maggie Bergeron, graduate student of Sustainable Studies at Texas State, enjoyed the rich heritage of biking, calling Amsterdam “the cycling capital of the world.” She remembers beautiful scenery and wide bike paths. “In the U.S., cars yield to pedestrians, while in Amsterdam, people stop and yield to busy cyclists,” Bergeron recalled. The trip included a free weekend to a North Sea beach where Dutch were seen line-dancing to American southern country music on the boardwalk.
