Not the environment, but safety and tranquility
The maximum speed in Amsterdam is set to 30 km/h almost everywhere. This is the first time that the capital gives shape to an idea that has been around for a few years.
In a year’s time, so in December 2023, the maximum speed on 80 percent of the roads in Amsterdam will go to 30 km/h. The municipality of Amsterdam says that this concerns 270 kilometers of motorway. Striking: the reason for this step is not mentioned by the Amsterdam city council for once the environment. Instead, it would be about increasing road safety and reducing noise nuisance.
According to the municipality of Amsterdam, 67 percent of Amsterdammers consider the traffic in the neighborhood unsafe to very unsafe. 83 percent would think that speeding is an important cause of unsafe traffic. Reducing the maximum speed to 30 km/h would reduce the number of accidents by 20 to 30 percent. As a benchmark: now there are about 20 road fatalities in Amsterdam every year, while 800 people are injured in traffic.
The fact that Amsterdam will only introduce the speed reduction in a year’s time has everything to do with the work that still needs to be done. Many signs will be installed or replaced in the coming year. Traffic lights and lines will also be adjusted and there will be a major public campaign. On the blue roads on the map below, 50 km/h still applies, but 30 km/h will apply. Red is and remains 50. A more detailed map can be found here.
Buses and trams
Not surprisingly, the speed reduction in many cases does not apply to buses and trams. Where these vehicles drive on a separate lane, they may continue to maintain a speed of 50 km/h. This does not apply if buses and trams run between the cars, but precisely because of the reduction in speed, more separate bus lanes and separate tram rails are also being constructed.
Older plan
In the Netherlands, there has been talk for years about lowering the maximum speed in built-up areas to 30 km/h, even as a general measure. Amsterdam is not going that far yet, because there are still through roads where 50 km / h can be driven even after 2023. However, the capital is the first with this large-scale reduction, so we are curious whether more municipalities will follow.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl