Build the Lanes

People have asked me multiple times about why I am posting content related to Ukraine on this channel. I want to make a post aimed at addressing most of these questions. I understand that I have a large international audience and why I am doing this might not be clear to everyone.

1. First of all, I hear you.

Build the Lanes is first and foremost a channel that discusses and explores the science of transportation design and transportation planning. Its not about politics or war. That is why I decided to create a seperate youtube channel called 'Steffen Goes to Ukraine' to upload content that does not relate to this core topic in any obvious way. I might make an occasional post about a fundraiser, but that will be about it.

2. Why make any content at all related to Ukraine?

I moved to Ukraine in June 2025. I live here now so it makes sense to make content about where I am living. Just like how I made almost exlusive content about the Netherlands while I was living in the Netherlands. In many ways, Ukrainian cities are more similair to North American cities and seeing solutions here might lead to some inspiration to people living across the pond.

It's also because of one of the core reasons that I chose to enter this field of work to begin with. Transportation is involved with almost every aspect of life. Especially in wartime. There are valid topics to think about and explore. Such as, how can metro stations double as air raid shelters if a city comes under air attack? How can flow roads be optimized to help first responders get to where they need to go? Does pavement need to be designed differently to handle the loads of heavy vehicles such as tanks or to double as an emergency runway for aircraft? How can people get to safety quickly if car roads are blocked and things such as gasoline are in short supply? How can train companies keep up reliable service in a war environment?

These are really important topics that shouldnt have to be explored because we should want a world without war or violence. But so long as these things exist, we need to understand these as transportation professionals.

3. Why are you volunteering for the military?

I get asked this a lot by people who tell me that they are opposed to war. Therefore they wont get involved in any way because they dont want to support anything that leads to death and destruction.

My honest reply to this is that I think that this is something that you can only believe if you live an extremely priviliged life. In my opinion, it takes two sides to make peace and only one side to start a war. The world is full of unecessary wars that are driven by pettiness and short sighted leaders who would often prefer to see their citizens die than to put their ego aside and work out a compromise. But that does not mean that that is the case for EVERY war.
Sometimes it is just as simple as a dictator in one country would like to conquer new territories and people, and the other side is left with the choice of resistance or acceptance of a cruel occupation. Before you rush to condemn people who choose resistance, take some time and talk to people who have experienced a military occupation with no rights and hope for a bettter future for themselves or their families. A violent occupation can be the opposite of peace. Try to understand what it would feel like to be powerless to prevent the abduction of your family members because someone in a position of power has decided that they might have information that is needed. There are many people in this world that would rather die trying to stop that from happening to their home and loved ones, and in my opinion, that is an honorable choice, not something to be condemned.

I understand that some of you reading this might not agree with me, and thats ok. Maybe you disagree so strongly that you want to unsubscribe, and thats also ok. This is an intensely personal choice and I dont expect everyone to understand it. We should live in a society where we can disagree on topics and be free to choose our own futures. But I hope that what almost everyone reading this will understand, is that I made this choice so people in Ukraine and Europe can keep having this basic freedom that should be a human right everywhere.

4. Thank you all of your for you well wishes and the concern. I do read them and appreciate them very much.

1 month ago | [YT] | 198

Build the Lanes

I have arrived 🇺🇦

2 months ago | [YT] | 126

Build the Lanes

I drove to Kyiv for the fifth time to deliver a pickup truck to the Ukrainian military. This time I did the trip with my brother.

I have created a seperate youtube channel called 'Steffen Goes to Ukraine' to share my preparation for and my journey in Ukraine. Ill be there in approximately one month!

If you'd like to follow my journey, please subscribe! Occassional urbanist content in short form will still appear on here while I'm busy over there.

Thanks for sticking around!
Steffen

4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 45

Build the Lanes

I sat down with ‪@NotJustBikes‬ to do another interview on ‪@theurbanistagenda‬. We talked about pickup trucks and my work delivering them from European cities to the front line in Ukraine. Give it a listen if you have time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrgAV...

5 months ago | [YT] | 22

Build the Lanes

Great news!!!

The truck fundraiser is almost finished! We have just 306 euros to go!!!

If you'd like to chip in and save the life of a Ukrainian defender, please use the link below. If you donate over 100 euros, you can receive a patch made in Ukraine that shows my borther and I driving. These patches are only made once!

www.help99.co/patches/nafo-berr-battalion

5 months ago | [YT] | 53

Build the Lanes

The next long video should come out this weekend

5 months ago | [YT] | 79

Build the Lanes

Come meet me in person tomorrow!

Tomorrow starting at 12:00 PM this Saturday, I will be standing in the Grote Markt of Haarlem with the Ukrainian flag for 24 hours to show solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.



While we are able to live in peace and freedom in Haarlem, we should never forget that just a 2 hour flight away from here, people are being slaughtered everyday because they refused to be conquered by a dictator.



I hope that this action will do two important things. Raise more awareness and raise more funds.


My brother and I have co launched a fundraiser for the RUBPAK unit of the 25th brigade to purchase them a truck, night vision equipment, and a mavic drone. These guys are putting their lives at risk everyday on the front to protect all of us, so we must do everything that we can to support them.



All the money raised goes directly to purchasing equipment for this unit and I do not profit a single cent off of this.

If you would like to support this initiative, please reshare. And if you have the means consider chipping in a few bucks/euros below 👇

www.help99.co/patches/nafo-berr-battalion

6 months ago | [YT] | 82

Build the Lanes

Hello BTL community!

I've finished the audio recording for the next video. I'm hoping to have it produced within the next 2 weeks.

But!

I really could use an animator to assist me and my almost non existent animating skills. If any of you are proficient in animating and would be interested in contributing to my content, please contact me at buildthelanes@gmail.com!

For compensation, let's talk and figure something out. If it's a good fit, I'd like to keep this as a permanent position.

6 months ago | [YT] | 53

Build the Lanes

Important announcement

This summer I am moving to Ukraine to serve in the Ukrainian military as a volunteer. I will be creating a second seperate channel to upload content about it regularly. Keep an eye out for an announcement for this channel in the next month.

I will still be producing my regular transportation content before summer and after summer when the time and circumstances allow me too. I've been wanting to make more content outside of the Netherlands, so stay tuned for more video about Eastern European roads soon!

6 months ago | [YT] | 210

Build the Lanes

Today I stood alone outside in the rain and cold in Haarlem for 8 hours to mark the 3rd full year of Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine.

People were very kind and stopped occasionally to ask if I needed anything. Tea, food, a couple even bought me a pair of gloves and a poncho without me asking. Many asked me why I was doing it alone or why I was outside for so long.

I told them this. “It is symbolic. If Ukraine can fight Russia through 3 winters by itself, then I can stand here alone for a day in the cold to honor them.”

There was something about seeing a man stand by himself in uncomfortable conditions for a cause that engaged with people in a way that just didnt happen when a few other people were with me.

We have all been watching the Ukrainians endure and fight ALONE against the Russian BEAR for 3 years on behalf of the whole democratic world. We must help them win.

6 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 382