De Meije at Bodegraven opens again, MAG wins lawsuit

In 2022, the MAG in Bodegraven-Reeuwijk objected to the motorcycle weekend closure of the Meije, a narrow winding road along the peat river of the same name.

There was said to be annoyance due to noise, but measurements were not available. There was said to be insecurity due to motorcyclists, but no accidents involving motorcyclists occurred.

There would also be rapid acceleration and large speed differences, but the road is simply too winding for that: if you turn on the gas you will already be at the next blind bend.

Finally, the municipality stated that there would be damage to the character of the road and the adjacent quiet area, but wouldn’t that also apply to all those cars that drive there? Nevertheless, the MAG’s objections were dismissed by the advisory committee.

The MAG was not satisfied with that. At the end of October, the administrative judge decided in favor of the motorcyclists’ organization. The municipality had not sufficiently substantiated the traffic decision, the judge ruled. For example, no noise measurements or observations had been carried out, and a resident survey that had been carried out did not provide sufficient basis for conclusions.

The judge also stated that the presence of a road for motorized traffic is in any case at odds with a quiet area adjacent to that road. The MAG indicated that the average number of 112 motorcycles per weekend day could hardly cause more damage than the number of passing cars, which is a factor of ten higher.

The part of the Meije that falls under Bodegraven runs from the Kerkweg to the Hazekade. The motorcycle weekend closure of the other part of the Meije still applies. With the administrative judge’s ruling, the MAG has new ammunition to tackle that part and to reverse other road closures. A case about this is already underway.

Photos: MAG