Good news for the residents of Katwoude. The municipality of Waterland has chalked 30 (kilometres) on the road this morning in several places in the village. For years, the residents of the village have been trying to convince the municipality to do something about the speed demons and motorists who race through their village to avoid the busy N247. And that seems to have worked.
“This is the beginning,” says Philine van der Vegte. “But we’re not there yet.” At the end of last year, Philine placed with her neighbors self signs to counteract the tearing cut-through traffic.
The residents have written to the municipality several times about the dangers they see and have also addressed the city council. In a few years’ time, the dike on which the road is located will be reinforced and the road will also be overhauled, but that will take too long for residents. “We want a solution to come sooner,” Philine van der Vegte said earlier.
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The actions of the residents seem to be working, because last week there were also two checks on the entry ban in the morning. “We have a lot of trouble with cut-through traffic trying to get around the N247. This has not been checked for the past ten years,” says Philine. “They listened to that too. People from Katwoude have even been thrown on the ticket who have just moved here and do not know about the driving ban.”
Whether the chalked 30 will help on the road, Philine does not know. “It is a sign of good will from the municipality of Waterland.” In the future, the residents would like to see the road modified with a colored bicycle path. “It makes the road seem narrower.” And flower boxes along the way.