Dozens of residents in Gestel are worried about the arrival of the HOV4 line, a fast bus lane from Eindhoven station to ASML. They fear traffic congestion, vibrations and poorer air quality.
To make room for the HOV4, Karel de Grotelaan on the north side of the roundabout will only be used for buses, and all traffic will have to pass along Meerveldhovenseweg on the north side. The first plan, to make the south side of Meerveldhovenseweg both two lanes for buses and two lanes for other traffic, has been scrapped. Local residents are already happy about that. A petition against that plan had already been started.
Alternatives
In response, the Eindhoven city council came up with two alternatives. An option to build a bus and a motorway on both sides, and an option where buses would be on the north side, and all cars on the south side. “We preferred that first option,” says Ted Krebbeks, who started the petition last year. “Now all the burdens are still with us on the south side.”
Concerns
An information evening allowed local residents to ask questions and share concerns. Many people living on Meerveldhovenseweg do have concerns. With all the traffic now coming along one road with two lanes, they fear that traffic congestion will increase, and as a result there will be pooorer air quality, more vibrations, more exhaust fumes. “It is the only approach road to Eindhoven where people’s gardens directly adjoin the road,” Krebbeks says. “And there is a school next to the road.”
During the evening, people could write their concerns and questions on a post-it note. On it, many post-its express the same concerns. “I live on Meerveldhovenseweg, it’s already so busy there. We already can’t sit quietly in the garden. It will only get worse,” one of the many notes reads.
Arguments
In order to arrive at a choice, the municipality made a so-called ‘weighting matrix’. Both options look at several points, such as the possibilities for building around the roads, the accessibility of Kastelenplein and road safety. This approach led to the choice for all traffic using the south side and buses using Karel de Grotelaan.
“We have also looked at those arguments and come to a different conclusion ourselves,” Krebbeks says. The municipality’s preference, for instance, is said to reduce the insularity of Kastelenplein. Willem van Lochem, another resident, thinks this is nonsense. “I my live on that ‘island’ myself, and that does not play a role at all,” he says. A group of local residents have worked out the arguments. The residents are going to show these to the city council, hoping that the other option will be chosen after all.
Studio040 has asked the municipality for a response several times, in response to residents’ concerns. So far, the municipality has not responded.
*The HOV4 (Hoogwaardig Openbaar Vervoer-High-quality Public Transport) line is a fast bus lane to better connect the ASML business park with Eindhoven. The HOV runs more often and is faster because, where possible, a separate lane has been built or cleared for it.
For Eindhoven news:Shanthi Ramani
Source: Studio040
