In Koersnota Hoofdinfrastructuur the local town council has expressed the ambition to increase bicycle use within the town from 33 to 44 per cent. In order to substantiate the bicycle ambition all stops need to be pulled out to promote bicycle use: ‘s-Hertogenbosch is to become a real bicycle town! That means that a perfect infrastructure is to be provided - devolution between car traffic and cyclists, high-quality main bicycle routes with under- and overpasses wherever necessary, to improve circulation and safety for both cyclists and motorists; free guarded bicycle parking facilities and sufficient numbers of theft-proof parking spaces. Those are the hard aspects of bicycle policy. In addition it means that equal efforts have to be spent on creating a real bicycle climate in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Stimulate residents to use their bicycles more often by means of a permanent promotional campaign, implement a large number of promotional activities, ensure perfect information on bicycle routes and parkings, and updating information on the town’s ambitious bicycle policies. This means attention for the soft aspects of bicycle policies as well. Nothing but such an integral innovative approach will succeed in getting much more people to use their bicycles more often and thereby realise the bicycle ambitions. Main bicycle network The new main bicycle network consists of the following stellar network routes: 1. a route from Maaspoort to the town centre; 2. a north-south route to the east of the town centre; 3. a route from Rosmalen to the town centre, connecting to the bicycle highway ‘s-Hertogenbosch-Oss; 4. a route from De Pettelaar to the town centre; 5. a route from Vught to the town centre; 6. a route from Kruiskamp to the town centre; 7. a route from De Groote Wielen to the centre of Rosmalen. This new main bicycle network is an important base for realising the bicycle ambitions. In the next few years the emphasis will be on implementing stellar network routes 2 and 3 and constructing a number of under- and overpasses: Graafseweg/Van Grobbendoncklaan, Pettelaarseweg/Gestelseweg, Zandzuigerstraat/Bruistensingel and maybe Rietveldenweg/Zandzuigerstraat. Parking bicycles in the town centre In the town centre the overall parking volume will be increased to a maximum of 3,500 spaces. In the near future a number of new guarded parking facilities will be realised or expanded: Wolvenhoek, Kerkstraat and GZG. This will lead to a guarded parking volume in the town centre for 2,500 bicycles. After implementation the functionality of a new guarded parking facility near Visstraat will be studied. In that way the guarded parking facilities will be spread over the town centre as best as possible. For realising the bicycle ambitions it is crucial that guarded parking will be free of charge. It has become abundantly clear from experiences elsewhere that bicycle ambitions can only be realised by the introduction of free guarded parking. Important side effects are a decrease in nuisance by badly parked bicycles in public spaces and less vandalism and bicycle theft. In addition to supplying more and better bike paths, this also implies improving bicycle parking, innovation and promoting cycling as a neat means of transport. Local authorities are investing € 3 million a year in the bicycle plan, up to and including 2012, with an additional € 1.5 million for the next three years, overall € 16.5 million.