The district wants to make Spuistraat and Haarlemmerdijk in Amsterdam permanently car-free
The Centrum district wants the Spuistraat and the Haarlemmerdijk and -straat in Amsterdam to be permanently car-free. On the Spuistraat, this means that cyclists will stay on the road and the sidewalk will be widened for pedestrians. Cars and scooters are definitely no longer welcome on the Haarlemmerdijk and Street. The plans will be presented to the district committee on Tuesday.
In the summer of 2020, the streets were temporarily made car-free by the municipality. Since people can keep one and a half meters away due to corona, busy streets in the city were redesigned: cars as guests, cyclists on the road and pedestrians on the sidewalk and the bicycle path. The district almost aspires to make the measures permanent.
Spuistraat
According to the district, the cycle path on the busy Spuistraat causes many conflicts between fast bicycle traffic and pedestrians. Also often illegally cycled against the direction of travel, which leads to collisions between. “In the neighborhood, the busier cycle path is no longer perceived as positive for the quality of life,” can be read in a document from the district about the her.
To make the temporary measures permanent, the cycle path will be removed and more space to be created for pedestrians. The car is a guest on the roadway, which will be made clear with markings and signage. “The traffic measures on the car network in recent years have made the amount of cars in the car network radically moving the roadway a realistic option,” according to the realistic part.
Haarlemmerdijk
The Haarlemmerdijk and -straat will also be redesigned in the summer of 2020 to allow pedestrians and cyclists to maintain a distance of one and a half meters. One was made for pedestrians to make room for terraces and bicycle parking.
Cars and scooters were also no longer allowed on the street. Cars are only allowed on the street between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. to load and unload. “By taking measures in various busy places in the city, we ensure that everyone in Amsterdam can enjoy the summer as safely as possible,” said the Municipality of Traffic and Transport.
Residents disagreed and went to court. However, the municipality has drawn it up in its favor: the road may remain car-free, which is necessary for the life of the corona measures. Now, almost a year later, a survey of the district among local residents and entrepreneurs shows that there is a clear positive attitude towards the car-free measures. Of the 135 residents of the Haarlemmerdijk and -straat, 77 percent voted in favour, compared to 60 percent among entrepreneurs.
To finalize the measures in the street, the district council proposes to install retractable posts. The current loading and unloading times will be extended.
The plans will be discussed in the city district committee on Tuesday.