Those who often visit the centre of Son en Breugel, or were born and raised there, don’t even notice it anymore: the enormous number of zebra crossings on Nieuwstraat. There is one every forty metres or so and the municipality is not happy about it. Studio040 went to investigate and discovered that nobody really knows why there are so many.
At city hall, there is no employee who can say anything meaningful about it. A spokesperson reveals that there is no official left who was involved in the construction of the pedestrian crossings at the time. “Our current traffic expert or other colleagues who have worked at the municipality for some time do not know anything about the history of the centre. The zebra crossings may have been put there at some point to slow down the speed of traffic.” The municipality further reveals that it is not so happy with the many zebra crossings. “Today, we would design it differently.”
Reducing speed sounds plausible and is also mentioned by Henry, owner of snack bar Henry Place. The zebra crossings have been there for ‘a very long time’. “I’ve been here for 20 years and I don’t know any better. It was – and in fact still is – the through road here to and from Eindhoven and there was incredibly fast driving. Life-threatening for cyclists in particular”
Accidents
As far as Henry can remember, there were also quite a few accidents during that time. “At one point they widened the road so that cyclists no longer had to ride on the carriageway, but this didn’t stop motorists from driving fast. Perhaps partly because of this adaptation. Now there are pedestrian crossings every 50 metres or so, so at least pedestrians can cross safely.”
A man at a table – ‘Just give me a serving of chicken nuggets with mayonnaise’ – emphasises that in many cases, cars in the centre of Son are still driving far too fast. “I come here every Monday and am always amazed at what a racetrack it is sometimes. Just anti-social. Especially since many young parents with children also cycle here. In any case, I don’t feel that the pedestrian crossings have changed anything.”
Not noticed
What he remembers is that the municipality once had the pedestrian crossings installed because there was so much traffic on Nieuwstraat. “There are 12 in total. I counted them the other day. But because it is such a clear road, motorists hardly need to slow down. You can see from afar if pedestrians want to cross. Although far from every driver pays attention to this.”
A man and woman with a dog look somewhat surprised when asked why they think there are so many pedestrian crossings in the centre of Son. ‘I never actually noticed,’ laughs the man. While his wife nods in agreement. “Now that you mention it. There are more of them than in other municipalities. It does give me a sense of security. Though perhaps this is only appearances.”
Bill
Just down the road, a woman walks with a buggy. In it is a happy, healthy daughter. When asked about the large number of pedestrian crossings, she smiles broadly. “The other day, a friend of mine said she had noticed how many crossings there were here. I shrugged then, but she is indeed right.”
Whether fast-moving traffic actually takes it into account, the young mother dare not say, but she does feel that most motorists stop neatly, when she indicates she wants to cross. “Despite people saying that society has become harder and louder, I do notice that a mother with child is still “sacred” to many people. Thankfully…”
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
