At the moment, Benjamin Brittenstraat and Aaron Coplandstraat are not the busiest streets in Zuidas. But when the additional passenger tunnel at Amsterdam Zuid station, the Brittenpassage, has been completed, they will be full of pedestrians and cyclists. Especially immediately after the opening of the new passageway, in 2027 at the latest. That will be when the existing station entrance, the Minervapassage, closes for major renovation works for several years. Very large numbers of railway and metro passengers will then be reliant on the Brittenpassage. Currently, around 80,000 people travel via Amsterdam Zuid station on a daily basis. Some of the pedestrians wishing to get from one side of the district to the other will also have to use the Brittenpassage while the Minervapassage remains closed. Alongside the Brittenpassage, next to Aaron Coplandstraat, there will also be a temporary above-ground bicycle park with room for 1,600 bikes. This will also lead to an increase in bike traffic. By then, the streets will be a hive of activity: freight traffic, cars going in and out of the underground Mahler car park, cyclists parking, people walking, cycling and visiting terrace cafés.
‘Temporary’ measures
To see off any bottlenecks, we will be taking several measures during this temporary situation. To be fair, ‘temporary’ may not be quite the right word, because the measures will last for years. Around the time when the Minervapassage opens, another radical project will also be happening: construction of the tunnel in the A10, next to the station. Until the station passageways and the traffic tunnel are completed, we will therefore be making changes to Benjamin Brittenstraat and Aaron Coplandstraat on several occasions. In the process, we will ensure that the design matches the temporary layout that Zuidasdok is working on and the permanent situation when Zuidasdok has completed its work.
Phase 1: Space for cyclists and pedestrians
When the Brittenpassage opens, we will make Benjamin Brittenstraat safe and comfortable for pedestrians and we will do the same in Aaron Coplandstraat for cyclists. We will also ensure that it is still possible to access offices and (hospitality) businesses. Any obstacles causing a hindrance to people with disabilities will be removed. The bicycle parking places in Benjamin Brittenstraat and Aaron Coplandstraat will be removed to make space for pedestrians, cyclists and amenities. The same applies to the loading and unloading zones. There will be special timeslots for freight and car traffic: they will only be allowed into the area outside rush hour. The exact details of these timeslots are yet to be decided. There will also be cameras to enable enforcement. Some distance away, next to Mahlerlaan, we will create a temporary crossing for cyclists.
Phases 2 and 3
Phase 2 is the period when the traffic tunnel is being built. The Brittenpassage (south side) and Arnold Schönberglaan will then both be closed. The above-ground bicycle parking facility in Arnold Schönberglaan will no longer be available. The Minervapassage will then be open again. Phase 3 is the permanent situation. The Minervapassage will then again be the main entrance to the station and serve as a pedestrian link between the north and south side of the station. The Brittenpassage will then serve as a second passageway leading to the trains and metros, with a bicycle park next to it. Above the tunnel, the station forecourt will be given a new layout and there will be tram stops in Arnold Schönberglaan.
Information meeting
There have already been discussions with (hospitality) businesses, building managers, residents and other interested parties. Later in the year – probably in November – we will be organising an information meeting. We will provide details of the date in due course.
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