Numbered-node cycle network

The system was designed by the Belgian . Bollen worked as a mine engineer from 1971 to 1990, and then joined Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland (RLKM). RLKM did not ask Bollen to design the scheme; he volunteered it. The idea of labelling each intersection was inspired by his annoyance at having to stop at each intersection to read the map, when out biking with his wife; he personally describes himself as more of a hiker than a biker. Rumours notwithstanding, the numbering was not inspired by a wayfinding system from the mines, nor by the London Underground. Bollen said in a 2017 interview that the choice was straight logic: he needed to label each intersection, and using town names would have caused chaos, and there were not enough letters in the alphabet, so he used numbers. He wanted something short; he felt it was important that the signage not contain too much information. RLKM estimates that the network brings 16.5 million euros of revenue to Kempen (Campine) in Maarsland annually. Bollen has said he was surprised by the system's success. The system won the Paul Mijksenaar Award for functional design in 2013. Areas The system was first introduced in the Netherlands in 1999, The system is displacing more traditional national cycling route network signage: long, named routes, each individually signposted. In 2017–2021, the Netherlands reduced its LF-routes, amalgamating some of them. The ways themselves remained part of the numbered-node network. ==Use==

passes a numbered-node-network sign and a padstool sign (kept low for ergonomics and scenic unobtrusiveness). Paper numbered-node-network maps can be bought at tourist offices, There are also many online route planners. Cyclists sometimes print the lists of node numbers and fasten them to their handlebars or front mudguard. These facilities are also mapped in some areas. The routes are not entirely on dedicated cycleways; some parts are on quiet roads. The routes are selected for being pleasant to cycle, and thus may not always be the shortest and fastest routes. While there is no formal international standard which routes must meet, routes are tested before they are added to the network, and there's an expectation that they will be more-or-less to Dutch standards for cycle routes. Points with a lot of cycle accidents may be removed from the network. Some points have official signpost stickers giving instructions for submitting comments or finding out more about the location. Some jurisdictions also advertise themed routes, or routes that parallel train routes, publishing a series of numbers that specify them. ==Road signs==

Numbering is shown at node 60, in Beuningsche Veld. In the Netherlands, one- and two-digit numbers are used. Nodes with the same number are placed far apart. Signs also name the network section and say which local authority maintains the network. Signage also includes maps at a variety of scales. Internode distances are given. There is a principle in the Netherlands that cyclists should not be slowed or stopped; a constant speed is more comfortable and efficient, and makes for shorter travel times. In Germany, standard signage is set high on poles. German nodes are usually marked by a large red "Node-point-hat" ("Knotenpunkthut") sign on top of the pole, Most nodes in Germany have wayside-map signs at eye level. The system has been described as ideal for those with no sense of direction. File:RuruferwegMap.jpg|A German sign showing Dutch nodes in green (top left) and German nodes in red. The network is international. File:Groenehart rcn sign.jpg|Brand-new internode sign, missing a number for a neighbouring node that has not been numbered yet. Groene Hart, the Netherlands. ==See also==