VVD West seeks fatbike ban in Westerpark

◆1 source

The VVD in Amsterdam-West called for a ban on fatbikes in the Westerpark, citing reports of women being harassed there by men and boys on fatbikes. The party pointed to a reported decrease in their numbers after a ban took effect in Amsterdam’s Vondelpark on 11 May: counts fell from 85–101 over 2.5 hours to 6–14 three months later.

The district committee is following alderman Moeskops’s position of waiting for national policy. The national government is considering measures including a minimum age, a helmet requirement and the possibility of local fatbike-free zones, but it has not been established whether these measures will be introduced.

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Transport & Travel

Dutch infrastructure funding reprioritisation

25 sources

The Dutch cabinet allocated an additional €18 billion for the maintenance and renewal of existing roads, bridges, railways and waterworks. Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karremans shifted money away from new construction and expansion projects, saying safety and tackling overdue maintenance take priority. Funding includes €2.3 billion for replacement of the ageing IJmuiden pumping and discharge complex, while rail maintenance and safety also receive additional funding. Projects including the Nedersaksenlijn and works on the N35 and N50 continue. Other projects have been postponed or lose national funding, including €270 million for expansion of the metro network and RandstadRail between Rotterdam and The Hague, as well as several motorway-widening plans. Karremans said postponed projects will be resumed later when possible. Reports initially said no extra money had been set aside for the Houtrib bridges near Lelystad, but a later single report said funds were made available for both the bridges and the locks after a review of the budget allocation; it remains unclear when work will begin.

Transport & Travel

Cabinet postpones funding for northern Zuidasdok

10 sources

The cabinet did not set aside funding for construction of the northern section of Amsterdam’s Zuidasdok for the time being, as it prioritised maintenance and renewal of existing roads, bridges, locks and waterways. The affected section includes the tunnel on the Oud-Zuid side and the northern side of the A10 from the Amstel interchange. Reports differed on whether 29 or 31 projects were postponed. Construction of the separate A10 tunnel towards Utrecht could continue under the plans. Amsterdam mobility alderman Elise Moeskops said the funding was insufficient to complete Zuidasdok and warned that a prolonged project could raise costs. The project’s estimated total cost is €5.4 billion, after an earlier estimate of €4.3 billion; the reported shortfall had risen to €1.3 billion. The project’s further course remains unclear.