Comment Report on Bernhardstraat: Final Design

Comment 2

I agree with the sidewalk and the narrowings, as long as the entrances and exits are taken into account. For the safety of cyclists, I suggest maintaining a bike lane on the inner side of the narrowings, as is done on Molenstraat in Boven-Leeuwen.

Response from the municipality

With the proposed road narrowings, it is not possible to incorporate bike lanes into the roadway. The space remaining after the road narrowings is not sufficient for this purpose.

Comment 3

The plan addresses the issue: traffic speeds on the street will certainly decrease, and through traffic will likely avoid the street (you hear similar comments about Zandstraat as well). We are not directly affected, but we would like to draw attention to the road we live on: trucks and, for example, the fire department must be able to reach us.

Response from the municipality

We take accessibility into account. This is a legal requirement.

Comment 4

Great plan. Since we don’t live right on the road, this isn’t as important to us.
We would, however, like the entrance to the path leading to nos. 14 and 16 to remain accessible to heavy vehicles, such as tractor-trailers and fire trucks. 

Response from the municipality

Thank you for your compliment. We take accessibility into account.

Comment 5

In the preliminary design, part of the driveway to No. 15 is blocked by the proposed hedge. Behind my house is a pasture, and the driveway is designed so that I can access it even with large machinery—which remains necessary—so this driveway cannot be made any narrower. I see similar problems in other areas of the preliminary design.

In the responses from Bernhardstraat to the preliminary design, I see that 24 out of 26 respondents prefer that the existing paved strip be fully or at least partially paved in a way that still allows for parking on this strip. As you wrote in your first letter dated December 2, 2025, residents can indicate for themselves what they want in front of their homes, so this point is very clear. I, too, wish to retain the parking option in front of my house. In the preliminary design, the current multifunctional paved strip has been entirely replaced by a raised and separate sidewalk. This has eliminated not only the parking function but also the ability to load and unload safely; therefore, this preliminary design does not meet the wishes of the vast majority of residents. Adding a pedestrian path was never a priority in the renovation of Bernhardstraat or in the effort to reduce traffic speed. Or will it still be possible to park on the pedestrian path as currently shown on the plan?

The frequently expressed desire to be able to walk more comfortably along the street is already being addressed by speed-reduction measures. Combined with the multifunctional paved strip, it’s perfectly fine to walk there—and yes, sometimes you have to walk around a car.  

I also notice every day that drivers are using the multifunctional hard shoulder in front of my house to stop and use their phones. This feature, which improves traffic safety, has been removed from the preliminary design.

The passageways at the proposed roadblocks look very narrow to me in the sketch. Bernhardstraat is used almost daily by ambulances and, at times, by fire trucks and police cars as well. Of course, they must always be able to drive through the street smoothly, even when there is heavy oncoming traffic.

It is often claimed that drivers speed on Bernharstraat, but there are no measurements whatsoever to support this claim. The number of incidents in which excessive speed played a significant role is also very minimal on this street. Or do police citations and reports paint a different picture? If cars and trash cans have to be parked on the road under a new design, cyclists will have to pass even closer to them, and the risk of mirrors being knocked off and trash cans being kicked over will only increase. A majority’s choice for road narrowing is more likely to be a choice against speed bumps, since (with the exception of one comment) no one wants them in front of their house.

I do see a clear difference in the comments between residents of the western part of Bernhardstraat, where I live, and those of the eastern part. I can imagine that people driving Boven-Leeuwen Bernhardstraat—and thus Boven-Leeuwen —from the Noord-Zuid highway tend to drive faster than those leaving the village via the existing intersection and curve. The western part has few speed-related issues and actually doesn’t want any changes at all, while the eastern part of the street wants many measures implemented. Perhaps the speed-reducing measures could be concentrated in the eastern part, where residents apparently experience nuisance.

Response from the municipality

We provide customized solutions regarding access to the driveways. Parking is no longer permitted on the sidewalk. Parking is allowed on the roadway.

Comment 6

That’s a perfect plan, especially when there’s the option to park on the roadways in areas where there are no driveways or narrowings. I think there would be more than enough general parking options in that case. It also takes pedestrians into account and allows for space for traffic-calming measures.

Response from the municipality

Thank you for your compliment.

Comment 7

We have a few comments:

1. Since we don't have our own driveway, it would be very important for us to have additional parking spaces in front of the house. A traffic-calming measure is currently planned right in front of our house, which would leave us with no place to park our cars. 
   We propose the following, in order of preference:
   1. The traffic-calming measure should be narrowed and moved to the ditch next to number 21. That way, they’ll have about two parking spaces, and we’ll have two as well. This is necessary for their business, and it will allow us to park our cars.
   2. Create a parking space between the trees across from number 19 that can accommodate at least 2 cars.
   3. No traffic-calming measures in front of our house, so that we might someday be able to sacrifice our front yard for parking on our own property.
2. Do not interrupt the sidewalk to the other side at nos. 30–32. This would force pedestrians to cross the road twice, as many of them dyke toward the dyke . One option to consider would be wooden walkways with railings spanning a short distance over the ditch. Alternatively, the footpath could be routed partially across the road, making the road slightly narrower. In our opinion, there would still be enough space for cars to pass each other.
3. Perhaps a sidewalk on the south side of the street would be a better idea overall. It could be laid out in a somewhat winding pattern around the trees, creating a more natural traffic-calming strip.

Response from the municipality

We have consulted with the resident. For house numbers 19 and 21, we can create a total of 3 parking spaces. This will also ensure that the driveways remain easily accessible.

Comment 8

Nice and green! It’s even better if it’s native vegetation rather than cultivated greenery.
Plus: a raised pedestrian lane with a hedge. The hedge is great because it provides an extra barrier, and when combined with greenery or green spaces on the road, it encourages “natural guidance.”

Especially on the side of No. 3, there is space along the hedge to park on the street. On the other side of the street, there is less space. To prevent party guests from parking in undesirable spots, I would still recommend designating a few parking spaces. Preferably using permeable materials such as grass pavers so that they also serve as infiltration areas. Marking these spaces will satisfy the request for parking.

In addition, please ensure that the driveways have ample space for turning in and out. At many homes, trailers, caravans, or larger trailers regularly enter the property. By providing sufficient space to turn onto the road, the green planting beds on the road will be less of a hindrance. Please also remove any posts you have installed yourself, as has now been done at the driveway leading to numbers 14–16. These posts obstruct the turning maneuver of larger vehicles that need to perform maintenance along the waterway near number 16. Thank you for taking the access of large vehicles into account.

We have noticed that change is difficult for many older residents and harder for them to grasp. With safety and biodiversity in mind, we strongly advocate for the following (in order of importance):

1. raised pedestrian walkway with a hedge
2. greenery that naturally stimulates the senses
3. a few parking spaces

If you’d like, I’d be happy to help you decide on the type of plants or a management plan.
We look forward to receiving the DO.

Response from the municipality

Thank you for your compliment. We take accessibility into account. Parking is available on the roadway.

Comment 9

We think the preliminary design dated March 26, 2026, is a good plan. However, we would have preferred that the entire street be paved with cobblestones. We also have no objections to the road narrowing with landscaping directly in front of our yard. We do assume, however, that the width of our driveway on the street side will remain wide enough to back in a horse trailer or caravan.

Response from the municipality

Thank you for the compliment. The driveways remain wide enough. We customize each driveway to ensure that vehicles can still enter and exit.

Comment 10

We would like to reiterate the importance of parking spaces for nos. 21 and 19. Currently, a hedge is shown on the plan in front of both properties. These areas could be converted into parking bays. The set-back block could then be placed in front of the ditch next to No. 21, leaving room for 3 or 4 parking spaces for Nos. 21 and 19. On the south side of the street, there used to be a ditch running the entire length of Bernhardstraat. This could be turned into a walking path. Then people would not have to cross Bernhardstraat to continue along the sidewalk.

Response from the municipality

We will create a total of 3 parking spaces for house numbers 19 and 21. This will ensure that the driveways remain easily accessible.

Comment 11

I find the preliminary design to be appropriate. In my opinion, the combination of road narrowings and a raised sidewalk with a green strip has a desirable effect on reducing speed on the street. I see no need to make further changes. Adding parking spaces (as was an option in the previous concept) is NOT desirable in my view. It is desirable that the pavement between the two renovated sections of the road be leveled; this will improve the street’s appearance and prevent the need for additional work in the future.

Response from the municipality

Thank you for the compliment. 

Comment 12

We agree with the design. If any changes are made, that’s fine with us. The only thing we definitely do NOT want are curbs. They cause vibrations, which result in cracks in older homes (our house was built in 1885).

Response from the municipality

There will be no speed bumps.

Comment 13

"It's great that attention is being paid to Bernhardstraat.
HOWEVER: Have parking spaces been provided to replace the existing parking areas?
If there are multiple visitors, they won't be able to park their cars close to their destination."

Response from the municipality

Cars can park on the roadway.

Comment 14

I’m pleased with the preliminary design. It’s great that our feedback as residents has been taken into account. It will really make the street a lot safer and greener.
Here are a few more suggestions.

1. The distance between the traffic-calming measures seems a bit too great to me to be sufficiently effective. Adding an extra set of two planting beds somewhere along the street and redistributing the remaining sets would likely be more effective. An alternative would be to add a third planting bed near No. 30.
2. Under this design, pedestrians must cross at the driveway of No. 33. Extending the sidewalk slightly eastward to a few meters past the Kastanje would make this unnecessary and safer for vehicles entering or exiting the driveway at No. 33. Another advantage of this is that the Ziggo box likely would not need to be moved, since in the current design it would end up right in the middle of the sidewalk.
3. Plant a (small) tree in the new green spaces. Maybe that's already the plan, but I can't tell right now.

Good luck with the rest of the work. Please let me know when the final design is ready.

Response from the municipality

Thank you for the compliment. Cars can park on the road. We are only creating parking spaces in front of house numbers 19 and 21. We are doing this because No. 19 does not have its own driveway. This also ensures that the access road for house numbers 14 and 16 remains accessible to heavy traffic.

Comment 15

It’s good to see that the residents’ wishes have been heeded. Just one more addition to my earlier comment: as for the traffic-calming measure, one more road narrowing could be added. And perhaps the sidewalk could be moved from house number 31 to the south side of number 24 to improve crossing safety, because otherwise people will be crossing at our driveway.

Response from the municipality

Thank you for the compliment. It’s not possible to add another road narrowing due to the many driveways. The strip of municipal land in front of house number 24 is too narrow to build a sidewalk.

Comment 16

As I’ve mentioned before, I think this is unnecessary and a waste of money. How many accidents have occurred on Bernhardstraat in the past and up to now?
So what exactly is this expensive project supposed to solve?
I think installing road narrowings will only create dangerous situations. Also, where are the cars currently parked on the paved strip supposed to go?
If a few residents park their cars on the street—which costs nothing—then the problem (which I don’t even experience) is solved anyway!! Those road narrowings right next to the driveway will also make it difficult for trucks or cars with trailers to drive in and out—after all, we live in a rural area. That’s why I think the best solution is to leave things as they are now; that’s also what suits the old Bernhardstraat best.

Response from the municipality

We are carrying out major maintenance on Bernhardstraat to ensure safety. As part of this, we are assessing whether the street layout still meets current requirements. Local residents had the opportunity to share their requests with us. We have incorporated most of the feasible requests into the final design.

Comment 17

This design looks great!!! Perhaps the new sidewalk on the south side (from No. 28 to the corner of Houtsestraat) could be partially paved, so as to spare the growing area of the two beech trees.
Will we also be getting streetlights that match the “old” character of the street?

Response from the municipality

Thank you for the compliment. We will make sure the trees are spared. New light poles will be installed. The type of light pole will be chosen based on the budget.