Zoetermeer is working on future-proof road safety
The board of mayor and aldermen a draft Strategic Road Safety Plan 2026. With this plan, Zoetermeer aims to make the city noticeably safer in the coming years for everyone who travels. Whether on foot, by bicycle, by public transport, or by car. This plan focuses on vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, young people, and the elderly, as well as high-risk locations such as school routes, gray roads (busy 50 km/h roads without separate bike lanes), and busy intersections.
As in the rest of the Netherlands, the municipality is seeing a worrying increase in the number of road casualties. To reverse this trend, the municipality is no longer opting to intervene after accidents have occurred, but is instead adopting an approach that identifies and addresses risks before things go wrong. Data and analyses are used to identify where the risks are greatest and what is needed to make those locations safer.
This plan sets out a clear course of action to make Zoetermeer safer for traffic and is therefore important for all residents, visitors, businesses, and interest groups.
Three pillars for a safe Zoetermeer
The plan focuses on three components that together should make a difference:
- Safe streets and intersections
- Safe behavior
- Appropriate enforcement
Alderman Véronique Frinking believes that everyone should be able to move around safely in Zoetermeer. "With this plan, we are choosing a safe Zoetermeer. From children on their way to school to elderly people doing their shopping. Not waiting until something goes wrong, but looking ahead, identifying risks early on, and taking smart measures that really make a difference. Step by step, we are building a city where everyone, young and old, on foot, by bike, or by car, can move around freely, carefree, and with confidence."
Approach is step by step
Implementation will take place in stages, in combination with major maintenance, area developments, and housing construction, and only where this demonstrably contributes to road safety. This will ensure that implementation remains affordable and efficient.
Speed that suits the road
A safe infrastructure forms the basis of road safety in Zoetermeer. Speed adjustments are only made where really necessary and where the road is modified so that the new speed matches the layout. This ensures credible and safe road conditions.
Planning
Following discussion in the municipal council, the draft Strategic Road Safety Plan 2026 will be available for six weeks for residents and other stakeholders to review and comment on. After this period, the comments will be incorporated into the final version. The intention is to present the plan to the council before the 2026 summer recess.