Fortunately the UK is very slowly catching on to what has been standard practice in the Netherlands and Denmark for years, but outside London progress is still glacially slow. As an example: the cycle track mentioned by awjr in Oxford (along Marston Ferry Road) was put in in the 1970s. It's outstanding, and a huge success. Yet Oxford hasn't built anything like it since.
It's had a profound impact on their society. That's not to say the country does not suffer from congestion, just most journeys under 7km are done by foot or bicycle and the health benefits are huge despite their rather calorific diets ;)
The level of child travel independence alone in the Netherlands is almost alien to other countries.
This was so evident when I was there. Just the number of kids biking to school together, not with a parent, and at such a young age... it was really cool.