The College van B&W has proposed 27 measures to decrease car traffic and improve accessibility in Amsterdam- the most striking of which is the introduction of a free OV for children from 2021.
Children under 12 will be able to travel for free on Wednesday afternoons and during the weekend. Alderman for Traffic and Transport, Sharon Dijksma, hopes that by offering people attractive alternatives to car, the city can reduce car traffic, according to NOS. “By allowing children to travel for free by public transport on weekends and on Wednesday afternoons, we hope to be able to entice many more people to use the high-quality public transport network that the city has.”
Other initiatives proposed by the College van B&W include a trial of a night metro, a reduction in the number of parking permits, the removal of around 10,000 parking spots, and an expansion of the number of Park and Rides in the city. Metro stations will also get shareable bikes, like NS stations currently have. By 2030, the city hopes to be emission-free: something that going car free will obviously help with. The city is also prioritising keeping things accessible. The changes proposed are expected to cost 500 to 700 million euros. They will be discussed in the city council next year.
So, if you have a child, get planning all your outings for Wednesday afternoons and the weekends! And if you don’t, get ready to enjoy a far more sustainable and calm city centre in Amsterdam.
Het aantal toeristen in Amsterdam is de laatste jaren geëxplodeerd, wat ten koste gaat van de leefbaarheid van de stad. Deze video is een portret van het contrast tussen chaos en rust. pic.twitter.com/oPWeSQwtS3
— Gosse Bouma ? (@Gosserd) October 2, 2019
What do you think about these measures? Are you looking forward to the night metro, or free public transport for kids under 12? Let us know in the comments below.
Feature Image: Marion Golsteijn/Wikimedia Commons