Remaining accessible without new asphalt
The Netherlands will continue to grow in the coming years: there will be more residents, more homes and therefore more traffic. We are building as much as possible in and around cities and along public transport lines, so that people are less dependent on cars. At the same time, we are investing in better public transport, good cycle routes and smarter travel. Nevertheless, pressure on the ring roads around major cities continues to increase, because many people – despite good alternatives – still often choose to travel by car.
Expanding the ring roads is not an option in the short term. Nitrogen regulations, limited budgets and major replacement and renovation projects stand in the way. As a result, road capacity is regularly lost and our road network is becoming more vulnerable. To keep the ring roads running, we must therefore focus more than ever on making better use of existing infrastructure.
This is why the Draaiende Ringen programme was set up.
The aim is to ensure that traffic on the ring roads of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague and Eindhoven continues to flow smoothly by making smarter use of the existing infrastructure. The programme focuses on five main themes:
- Workstream 1 – Smart Mobility I – Incident Management
- Workstream 2 – Smart Mobility II – Traffic Information
- Workstream 3 – Traffic Management
- Workstream 4 – Small Infrastructure Measures
- Workstream 5 – Better Use of the Road Network around Eindhoven
Why further digitisation is necessary
Road users are increasingly following in-car navigation systems rather than route information on roadside signs. As a result, traditional signs are becoming less effective, which can lead to rat-running and poorer utilisation of the road network. Individual route choices do not always ensure optimal traffic flow, which increases pressure on safety and quality of life. At the same time, road authorities have less and less insight into what information reaches road users, making it difficult to provide reliable and up-to-date traffic information that both helps travellers and improves traffic flow.
Conversely, providers of navigation and travel information services often do not receive the correct data from road authorities, even though this data is necessary to provide up-to-date and socially responsible route advice.
There is therefore still much room for improvement in data exchange and coordination, so that road users can travel smarter, safer and more sustainably. Within ARAMIS, this forms the basis of all activities.