Amsterdam introduces speed limit of 30 km/h
Since December 8, the speed limit on most main roads in Amsterdam has been lowered from 50 to 30 km/h. The municipality introduced this for reasons of road safety. With an expected a decrease in the number of accidents of 20 to 30 percent. Before, there were on average three serious accidents per day in the city. And cyclists in particular feel increasingly unsafe in the city.
A lower speed has major advantages. Motorists have more time to respond adequately, the braking distance is halved, and the motorists’ field of vision is wider. They see more. Other cities such as Oslo and Brussels have already introduced 30 km/h as the new standard. With good effects on the road safety. Dutch road safety knowledge institute SWOV expects that the lower speed limit could lead to 20-30 percent fewer serious road casualties.
Noise pollution from moving cars also decreases at lower speeds. For cyclists, the change in speed is mainly a gain: more safety and more comfort.
Removing lines
On the streets the new speed limit is mainly visible on traffic signs with 30 on them. Streets will be redesigned in a later stadium, step by step. The municipality will not put in lots of speed bumps, as emergency services need to be able to drive at certain speed.
In the short-term road marking will be adjusted. Longitudinal lines will be removed and wider streets will get a central verge. All this to tempt motorists to drive slower. The introduction of 30 km/h is also accompanied by a major information campaign under the motto: ‘We do 30 for each other’.
30 kilometres per hour
30 km/h is the speed limit speed for everyone driving on the roadway. This means that not only motorists and moped riders must adhere to that speed, but also cyclists and riders of electric bicycles and fat bikes riding on the roadway.
Electric bicycles may have pedal assistance up to 25 km/h. If they can go faster than that on their own power, this is permitted. Up till the speed limit of 30 km/h.
Trial with fast cyclists to the roadway
A speed limit of 30 km/h as standard has another advantage. The trial with fast cyclists on the roadway, that councillor Melanie van der Horst announced, can be implemented.
With crowded cycle paths and more and more fast riders on e-bikes and fat bikes other cyclists feel unsafe. In the trial the cycle path will be converted from mandatory to non-mandatory, and possibly a speed limit of 20 km/h. Fast cyclists can be responsibly referred to the roadway as the speed limit of 30 km/h ensures small speed differences with cars. This way, the cycle paths can once again become a safe place for not-so-fast cyclists.
New category of roads
With 30 km/h as a new standard a new category of road is introduced in Amsterdam. Previously, 30 km/h roads were automatically local streets (so called ErfToegangsWeg, ETW). Neighbourhood streets where the residential function is paramount.
Now a new category has been added: the Distributor Road 30 (GebiedsOntsluitingsWeg 30, GOW30). These roads have both a residential and a traffic function. Here other priority rules apply than in ETW: Riders from the right have no priority so as to not impede the flow of traffic.
Also, as former 50 km/h roads, most GOW30 roads have separate cycle paths. Those cycle paths will remain. Only when a GOW30 road is ready for renewal will be looked into whether separate cycle paths remain in the new lay-out. The outcome will be different for each street, and depends on many different factors, of which road safety is the most important.
A limited number of distributor roads will remain a speed limit of 50 km/h (GOW50). These are mainly four-lane roads without car parking places and crossing movements. This has been decided in consultation with the emergency services and public transportat operators. After a year, the flow on these roads will be evaluated, and it will be reconsidered whether these GOW50 roads might be turned into GOW30 as well.
For now, the large part of distributor roads has become GOW30.
