The municipality of Assen has announced plans to tackle the traffic and noise issues on the Rolderstraat.
Translation by Traci White
RTV Drenthe reports that residents who live in the vicinity and business owners alike complain about noise pollution, dangerously fast cars travelling through the area and a generally uninviting atmosphere on the street. One local business owner, Ali Alnajar, told the broadcaster, “It used to be a lot nicer here. We do our best to make improvements, but it’s a losing battle and the municipality doesn’t seem to be helping out very much.”
Now, the municipality is looking to turn things around. Alderperson Roald Leemrijse and his officials are currently in talks with the residents to help develop more concrete plans to improve the area.
Speed bumps
Leemrijse says, “We’re planning to add speed bumps to the street so that cars will have to slow down, and we’re going to create loading zones.” Other physical improvements would make the street more open and less car-centric, including making changes to the bike parking areas on the street and removing light posts. The municipality is also considering setting up fencing along certain areas in the vicinity to discourage illegal activities, particularly drug transactions.
The city may eventually convert the area to a partially car-free zone. “We’d like to do that on a number of streets in the city centre, and that includes the Rolderstraat.” Earlier in October, RTV Drenthe reported that the Rolderstraat would be part of a pilot programme taking steps to reduce traffic-related issues.
The city centre of Assen has been getting a number of upgrades in recent months. Plans to place a device charging spot at the Koopmansplein were in development over the summer, and the Koopmansplein itself will be have nine million euros’ worth of improvements carried out in the near future, including making the square more pedestrian friendly.
Phot source: Google Maps
