Paint spilled? Hilversum confused by cheerfully intended lines around station

“This is really ridiculous. Very confusing and a waste of money,” said John Dietz of Fietsersbond Hilversum.

The winding lines around the station were recently installed by the municipality. The goal: to guide cyclists and pedestrians along all work activities in a cheerful way and thereby increase safety. The lines are pink for hikers, blue dominates on the bike path.

But that leads to great confusion in traffic. “I thought someone had spilled paint, but this is a lot of paint,” a passer-by laughs. “I don’t understand the stripes,” says another. “It goes over the shark’s teeth, it winds over the road. Should you follow the lines or not? No, I don’t see the point.”

In the video below you can see what the winding lines look like.

Anyone visiting the station will see that the work is in full swing. Excavators are busy, for example at the new bus station. Cyclists coming from the southeast of Hilversum therefore have to cross the road – the Schapenkamp – twice to get to the station.

“The municipality wants to make cycling more fun, but this is simply not fun. They should invest in a good detour cycling route,” says Dietz.

Accidents

He is critical of the brand new cycle path that is already there, but that is closed on both sides with concrete blocks. “Open it up, that saves a lot of annoyance,” says John. According to him, the risk of accidents is also greater because of the winding decoration on the street. “People can be distracted by the lines and therefore pay less attention to traffic,” he says.

Striking detail: despite the colored markings, many people do not know where to find the entrance to the temporary bus station. Many a hiker climbs with suitcase and all over the concrete deposits to catch the bus.

Colorful

However, there are also some positive reactions. “It’s a bit messy on the street, but I actually think it’s colorful,” says a girl passing by. Her lines may remain, but she is in the minority. “I say: remove them. If necessary, put up some signs warning of the work, but these stripes are of no use,” said another passer-by.