Mobility
How do we keep Zuidas and the surrounding area accessible and liveable? This is an important question in view of the increasing congestion and all of the construction work happening in the area. The answer is to create more space for slow traffic (cyclists and pedestrians) and public transport, as an alternative to the car.
Mobility plan
The basic principles behind all this are set down in the Sustainably Accessible Zuidflank Mobility Plan (Mobiliteitsplan Zuidflank Duurzaam Bereikbaar, in Dutch (pdf)), which was approved in July 2023 by the Amsterdam City Executive and the Executive Board of Amsterdam Regional Transport (Vervoerregio Amsterdam). ‘Zuidflank’ refers to the area between the river Schinkel in the west and the river Amstel in the east, Stadionweg in the north and Van Nijenrodeweg in the south. The mobility plan describes the developments expected to happen in mobility and transport by 2040 and measures to ensure that this area remains accessible and liveable.
The fact is that there is an awful lot happening on the south side of Amsterdam. The Zuidasdok programme is working hard to improve the transport infrastructure and this work includes the realisation of the Amsterdam Zuid station public transport hub at the heart of Zuidas. This is set to provide ample space for the hundreds of thousands of daily users of trains, metros, trams, buses and bicycles.
Increasing number of passengers
In the meantime, the number of people using the Zuidas area continues to grow rapidly. The number of employees, students, residents and visitors is expected to increase by around 50% in the years ahead. The number of commuters and other travellers is actually set to double, also as a result of wider developments in the Amsterdam region (in Dutch).
This mobility plan is not new policy, but includes a package of measures aimed at putting urban mobility policy into practice. The planned measures for the Zuidflank area, with Zuidas at its centre, are based on four interrelated pillars:
- more space to spend time and improving the alternatives for car use;
- working with the business community and educational institutions to encourage employees and students to travel outside peak periods and by cycle, on foot or by public transport;
- reducing parking space;
- an ongoing focus on the impact of what we build on mobility and liveability.
