Hundreds of bicyclists pour through Dutch museum

AMSTERDAM — Hundreds of bicycles are pedaling triumphantly through the Netherlands' national museum in Amsterdam, signaling the end of more than a decade of efforts by cyclists to ensure a passageway that runs under and through the Rijksmuseum would remain open to bike traffic.

Bikers began ringing their bells and then a cheer went up at 6 p.m. local time yesterday, when guards removed metal fences that were the last remaining barrier.

The museum, which houses masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn and Vincent van Gogh, among others, opened last month after a 10-year renovation. Architects and museum directors wanted the bike path space for the museum, and a local government tried to bar bicycles on safety grounds.

But in a city that has more bikes than people, the cyclist lobby prevailed.