Response Memorandum on Bernhardstraat

• Speed. Drivers are speeding on Bernhardstraat. - This creates safety issues. Bernhardstraat has heavy traffic: motorists (including heavy vehicles), cyclists, and pedestrians. The street is a major thoroughfare for the village; a very large proportion of motorists traveling to or from Boven-Leeuwen this street. This also applies to schoolchildren who walk to school from the west side of Noord-Zuidweg in Druten. In addition, there is quite a bit of recreational traffic in the form of cyclists and pedestrians. These traffic flows get in each other’s way, resulting in dangerous situations. Every resident can cite examples of this. I’ll mention broken side mirrors on parked cars, but also a collision involving a car leaving our driveway.
• Vibrations. The solution chosen so far—speed bumps—has its drawbacks: many of the houses on Bernhardstraat are located close to the road and are built on steel foundations; vibrations cause significant discomfort and may also pose a risk of damage.
• Image. Bernhardstraat is often touted—including by the municipality—as one of the most beautiful streets in the city. In our view, this means that the issues identified above deserve not only a sound solution but also one that is aesthetically sound.

We do not support the idea of speed bumps. If only three speed bumps were installed, as shown in the presented drawing, drivers would still speed between them (just as they do now!), and this would yield too few benefits in terms of safety and vibration reduction.
We do, however, support traffic-calming measures such as those implemented on Zandstraat in Beneden-Leeuwen—green chicanes—provided that three “blocks” are not deemed sufficient and adequate consideration is given to other traffic flows: cyclists and pedestrians.
As for those pedestrians: it seems as though this group of road users has not been considered at all so far. There is a great deal of walking in the street; a simple count will confirm this. Especially where the parking lane (used as a sidewalk) is blocked by parked cars, or is completely absent (between nos. 31 and 37), walking is not without danger, certainly not in the dark. Please give this extra attention!   
Suggestion: convert the current parking lane into a pedestrian lane/sidewalk, and create parking spaces on the south side of the street. There is plenty of space there in most places!
Note: I would be happy to explain this in person if desired!

House number 30 is not shown on the drawing you sent. We are surprised that you are working with outdated drawings and basing your plans on them. The current speed bumps are located in front of the garage exit. We would like to see them moved to a more westerly location, which would be between numbers 30 and 28.

We would also like to see the drainage ditch, which currently runs up to number 28, extended—including the associated street drains—all the way to our driveway. The current situation means that rainwater from the road flows onto our property when it rains. 

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (from Florastraat to Faunastraat), with reduced parking space and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

P.S. I just wanted to let you know that we haven’t received a personal letter from you.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (from Florastraat to Faunastraat), with reduced parking space and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (from Florastraat to Faunastraat), with reduced parking space and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (from Florastraat to Faunastraat), with reduced parking space and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-Oost. These green zones could be installed in several locations to effectively reduce speed while allowing through traffic to pass through.

To ensure that the greenery used also serves a purpose for wildlife and promotes biodiversity, it is essential to use native (preferably local) plant material. When planting trees, do not use cultivated species. These are often visually appealing trees, but their fruits are empty husks. In short, they provide no food or other benefits. I am personally committed to this cause in my daily life and would be happy to contribute ideas or provide further explanation.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a slightly raised strip along property lines as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (Florastraat–Faunastraat), which would provide a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be formed by planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more native greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (Florastraat–Faunastraat), with fewer parking spaces and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

We, the residents of Bernhardstraat, would like our street to be safer, greener, and even more beautiful. So definitely no straight stretch of road for cars that mainly encourages speeding.

The alternating road narrowings with vegetation would already be a major improvement. However, we believe that these should be installed in more than three places along our street, because, as you know, it is quite a long street, and three will not be enough to keep speeds low in between them.

Especially on the side of Noordzuidweg, a set-back right at the beginning of our street would certainly slow down incoming traffic.

We would prefer the parking lane to be as green as possible. On-street parking is also important, so using permeable paving stones will keep cars out of the area, allowing pedestrians to use these lanes more peacefully.  

For the many walkers, the municipality could also construct a paved path through the garden/strip on the south side of our street, similar to the path from Kortestraat to Florastraat.

Furthermore, our street would look even more attractive if all the asphalt were replaced with cobblestones, but unfortunately, even with all these effective and attractive improvements, it would still remain an eyesore of a patchwork.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (Florastraat–Faunastraat), with fewer parking spaces and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (Florastraat–Faunastraat), with fewer parking spaces and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (Florastraat–Faunastraat), with fewer parking spaces and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones (similar to the model used on Zandstraat-East). These green zones should be installed at multiple locations, spaced at intervals similar to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. Installing them at only three locations is insufficient to have any real impact.

It is important for pedestrians to have a safe and pleasant walking route. That is why a pedestrian zone is needed along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (from Florastraat to Faunastraat). We therefore opt for fewer parking spaces and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation can be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces to be retained. We propose using grass pavers in the parking spaces. For the sidewalk, we believe cobblestones are more suitable.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would appreciate it if the municipality would incorporate our ideas into its plans.

As residents of Bernhardstraat, we got together, reviewed the city’s plans, and shared our wishes with one another. This process led, in an ideal sense, to the following vision.

We would like to see Bernhardstraat redesigned to be safe, green, and visually appealing. To improve traffic safety, we propose green zones inspired by the model used on Zandstraat-East. These green zones could be installed at multiple locations, spaced at similar intervals to those on Zandstraat, to effectively reduce speed. We believe that installing them at only three locations would be insufficient to have a meaningful impact.

We believe it is important to create a safe and pleasant walking route for pedestrians. One option is a strip along property lines designated as a pedestrian zone along the entire length of Bernhardstraat (Florastraat–Faunastraat), with fewer parking spaces and a clear separation between the roadway and the sidewalk. This separation could be created using planters combined with a drive-over lane divider at the parking spaces that are to be retained. Alternatively, the sidewalk could be placed on the other side of the street, if that is more convenient for underground infrastructure.

To improve the street’s appearance, we would like to see more greenery and a fully paved cobblestone surface, so as to avoid a patchwork of asphalt and cobblestones. These measures will make Bernhardstraat visibly more attractive and demonstrably safer—not only for us as residents, but for everyone who passes through our beautiful street.

We would be delighted if the municipality were to approve of our ideas and incorporate them into its plans.

When the trees are being planted, the trash cans are placed on the street. And when they’re empty, they’re often kicked over and end up in the middle of the street.

No traffic-calming measures are needed—things are fine as they are. I think we could put the money to better use.
But if we really have to do it, then it should be like on Zandstraat.

There are a few short gaps, which could be partially filled if necessary. If they aren't too long, people will still end up racing through them.

Perhaps a bike-friendly street where cars are only allowed as guests would be a good idea. In that case, you’d have to be extra careful of speeders.