The traffic situation in Rolde is once again causing unrest. Letters sent to the municipal council of Aa and Hunze urge action to improve road safety in and around Asserstraat. According to residents and the Dorpsbelangen Rolde Foundation, it has all been going on for far too long and there is still no clear view of the implementation of previously discussed plans.
The letters talk about heavy traffic, unsafe situations for cyclists and pedestrians and noise pollution in the residential area. There is also frustration about the lack of action, while plans have previously been presented and expectations have been raised for residents.
The dissatisfaction is mainly about Asserstraat, an important route through Rolde that residents have been concerned about for some time. They say that traffic often accelerates and slows down just outside the 30 kilometer zone, which causes a lot of noise in and around the homes. According to them, this sometimes makes it difficult to sit quietly in the garden or sleep with open windows during busy times in the morning.
Road safety is also mentioned in the letters. Crossing would be unpleasant and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, partly due to the narrow crossing and the shoulder on the other side. Residents say that they have been raising this issue for some time, but that little seems to have changed in practice.
According to the applicants, there was a walk-in meeting in 2024 at which plans for Asserstraat were presented. This would include discussion of decision-making at the end of 2024 and possible implementation thereafter. At the time, this gave residents hope for rapid improvements, but things have remained quiet since then.
The received documents also point to delays in the political process. For example, the municipal council is said to have decided at the beginning of 2025 not to proceed with the plans due to financial considerations between various villages in the municipality. In addition, it emerged at the beginning of 2026 that the public transport agency had difficulty with a larger 30 kilometer zone, which further delayed the discussion.
Dorpsbelangen warns that the pressure on the roads in and around Rolde can only increase. For example, the letter points out changes in freight traffic and work on other roads in the region. According to the foundation, this could lead to more traffic, even without a destination in Rolde, being routed through the core.
This also refers to previous policy regarding freight traffic. According to Dorpsbelangen, traffic signs supporting a truck ban were once removed, while the ban itself was still in effect. The foundation is therefore asking the municipality to put those signs back in order to better manage traffic through the village.
Dorpsbelangen asks the municipality to really take action now. According to the foundation, it has been clear for years that traffic in and through Rolde has caused problems, but concrete measures have not been taken. That is why it is once again urged to quickly come up with solutions that reduce the pressure on the village center.
The foundation is considering interventions that they believe are relatively easy to arrange, such as banning through freight traffic or limiting traffic through the center at certain times of the day. According to Dorpsbelangen, this is already happening in other places and it is mainly a matter of making choices. They would also like to see an environmental zone introduced in the village.
It is not yet clear when the municipality will come up with a new proposal or decision regarding the traffic situation in Rolde. The incoming documents mainly insist on clarity about the next steps and concrete planning for the implementation of previously discussed plans.
Residents and village interests indicate that they would like to see the subject placed higher on the agenda again. They hope that the municipal council and the council will make decisions quickly, so that improvements in road safety around Asserstraat and the village center will no longer have to be waited for.
When asked, the municipality of Aa en Hunze stated that it takes the noise seriously and has been investigating concrete measures for some time.
