The VVD (People’s Party For Freedom And Democracy), CDA (Christian Democrats), Leefbaar Eindhoven (Livable Eindhoven), and LPF (List Pim Fortuyn) have spoken out against a proposed redesign of Eindhoven’s Vestdijk, saying it will create gridlock in the city centre.
Alderman Schreurs wants to remove one of the road’s lanes to reduce vehicle volume. Opposition political groups attempting to block the redesign received insufficient support from the rest of the Council during talks on Tuesday night.
According to Schreurs, the redesign will significantly improve air quality. With one lane removed, a maximum speed of 30km/h, and more greenery, quality of life should also improve dramatically. For example, the renovation will provide more scope for seating and leisure areas.
The VVD in particular disagrees, predicting many traffic jams due to the Vestdijk being a central route to the city. The party also believes that air quality will deteriorate as traffic congestion increases, and stressed that there is little support for the plan among business owners and motorists.
Coalition parties such as GroenLinks (Green Left) and D66 (Democrats 66) see things differently. Both support Alderman Schreurs and emphasize the importance of the measures for better air quality in Eindhoven city centre. According to GroenLinks, many local residents also indicate that they support the measures.
Work will begin on the Vestdijk before summer, at which point the road will be closed to traffic travelling from the south to the north of the city.
Source: www.studio040.nl
Translated by: Bob
