We spoke to councilor Dimitry van den Berg on the north side of the shopping area: in the Juliana Park. “The Cronjé is of course a street that has been receiving attention for years. D66 also believes that the street deserves a makeover. But with these plans, little will actually change, especially in terms of traffic. The cars will continue to drive here, soon also during the weekend .”
Van den Berg continues: “We don’t think these plans are ambitious enough. If you think away everything that is there now – the cars, the posts, the bicycles – then you see how much room there is actually to turn it into something very beautiful. We also want to have a debate about that. Are we going to leave it at this minor renovation or are we really going to take steps to make this street attractive for the next twenty years?”
Still car-free again?
In 2007, a trial began with making the street completely car-free. Pedestrians and cyclists were given plenty of space. But after seven years, the parking meters returned, at the request of some retailers. If it were up to D66, the cars would disappear from the street scene again.
“The entrepreneurs have submitted a wish list with ten points. Number three is that pedestrians should be given priority, but number four is that cars should stay,” says Van den Berg. “I don’t really understand that. If you say you choose the pedestrian, then really choose that. You see that the combination of cars, cyclists and pedestrians in this tight street really doesn’t work well. Make it a very nice, attractive pedestrian area!”
Fear of loss of turnover
Some entrepreneurs are afraid that their turnover will decline if people can no longer travel by car. “That depends a bit on the type of store,” says the council member. “But without cars it can actually be good for many entrepreneurs. A parking space for a car can also accommodate ten bicycles. That means ten customers who buy something, instead of that one motorist. Then there is plenty of room for more greenery and more catering terraces. Cyclists and pedestrians will then come faster, stay longer and also buy more. And cars can go to the parking garage.”
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