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The bicycle plays a major role in reaching new residential areas.

According to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Vivianne Heijnen, we are on the eve of major investments in public transport. The construction of homes must be linked to a sustainable way of making those homes accessible. Not only in the Randstad, but also in the region.

For example, students from the Achterhoek will soon be able to get to school in Arnhem faster with the RegioExpres. In South Holland, the State Secretary wants to free up money for opening up new homes along the Oude Lijn. By running more trains, making plans for new stations and tackling existing stations, important hubs can be created for various forms of mobility.

In South Holland, a total of €1,566 billion is being invested in improving the railways and stations between Leiden and Dordrecht. Previously, the “Oude Lijn” project had already been awarded € 1 billion from the Growth Fund. Until 2040, 77.000 homes will be built along or near the railway in Leiden, Dordrecht, The Hague, Schiedam and Rotterdam. With the money now becoming available, not only will the track be prepared to allow more sprinters to run between the cities, but plans will also be made to build new stations and upgrade the existing stations, making them important hubs for various forms of mobility. .

“We opt for major investments in public transport and bicycles. With this we ensure that homes throughout the country are accessible in a sustainable manner. We choose not only to invest in the Randstad, but also in the region. For example, we ensure that pupils and students from the Achterhoek can reach their education in Arnhem more easily and quickly by train, and we make a new residential area in Groningen easily accessible by public transport.”

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Vivianne Heijnen State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management - photo: Pitane Blue

The bicycle plays a major role in reaching new residential areas. That is why Heijnen is investing in space for bicycles. By building parking facilities at public transport nodes and constructing bicycle bridges and tunnels. so that the residential area can be reached quickly by bicycle or on foot by road or rail. Recently, carriers, Prorail and the State Secretary, together with all provinces have signed the Accessibility Administrative Agreement. An important step because “public transport is available to everyone”, according to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Vivianne Heijnen.

In the province of Gelderland, the government and province are jointly investing €150 million in the RegioExpres. With this amount, the track between Arnhem and the Achterhoek can be adjusted – including doubling the track between Didam and Doetinchem De Huet – so that trains can run more often and faster. The travel time between Winterswijk and Arnhem is thus reduced by 13 minutes and for transferees on an IC connection to the Randstad, the travel time gain can even amount to 26 minutes. The RegioExpres must start running at the end of 2026.

bicycle

The government is investing €780 million in cycling infrastructure throughout the country. This concerns measures such as cycle routes, where cyclists can cycle quickly and safely to and from home. There will also be many new bicycle sheds at public transport nodes. For example at the stations in Utrecht and Goes, where a total of 3500 new places will be created. Cyclists can transfer to public transport more easily and quickly there.

In addition, new tunnels and bridges for cyclists and pedestrians will be built in many places. For example, on national roads or under the railway, such as in Wijchen and near Sittard-Geleen. So that the residential area on the other side of the road or rail can be reached quickly and directly by bicycle or on foot.

Cycling infrastructure is relatively cheap and cycling does not produce any harmful gases. Moreover, the Dutch cycle from young to old, so many people can make use of the new cycling routes and connections.
Municipalities and provinces also contribute to the bicycle measures. Together with their contribution, the total investment for the bicycle comes to more than € 1,1 billion.

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State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management.

State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen of Infrastructure and Water Management visited Utrecht this month. Together with the Utrecht deputy Robert Strijk and alderman Lot van Hooijdonk, the State Secretary cycled past several special bicycle projects in the city.

Eindhoven and Helmond will build many houses in the vicinity of the train stations in the coming years. To ensure that new and current residents can easily get from A to B, the government is investing €802 million in the accessibility of the Eindhoven Brainport region. It is an exploration of a multimodal hub with enough space for the growing number of travelers by bus, bicycle and train. For the railways, this should lead to a good timetable with capacity expansion for improving the connections with Limburg and Aachen. A separate bus lane where buses can drive quickly to and from Veldhoven is also part of that plan.

It has been agreed with the Province of Zeeland to explore the possibilities for an innovative and sustainable mobility system. The combination of a flexible public transport network with a multimodal fine-meshed network is the starting point for this, so that the total mobility offer for the inhabitants of the province of Zeeland is improved.

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