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C I T I Z E N ' S I N I T I A T I V E :
B A N K A S T R A A T
Work
to start on remodelling upper Bankastraat & Bankaplein
19 October - 30 October 2009
Narrowing
of intersection Bankastraat/Dr. Aletta Jacobsweg and installation of central reservation
.
1 November
– 30 November 2009
Bankaplein/Bankastraat
-
Extension of area around fountain on Bankaplein to narrow roundabout roadway;
- Repositioning
of road and parking-bay markings.
Accessibility
While work is being carried at the Bankastraat/Dr. Aletta Jacobsweg intersection,
traffic will be diverted along Kerkhoflaan. Diversions will not be necessary for
the other work planned.
Parking
During the work to reposition road markings parking will be curtailed.
Signs will be erected to indicate when and where cars may be parked.
Safety
Although all precautions will be taken to preserve the safety of
the public; children in particular should be warned of the dangers of such work.
More
information
For any questions please contact the Contact Centrum
on work days between 08.00 and 20.00: tel 14 070 and ask for Mr. N. Sickenga (operations
manager).
Latest
information about the roadworks and other projects: www.denhaag.nl/verkeersveiligheid
C H R O N O L O G Y
June 2009
The
Bankastraat show will be on the road this year
After Alderman Peter Smit’s
commitment to two of the four most important Bankastraat burgerinitiatief proposals
at the city council meeting on 5 March, and his rally call to “get the show
on the road”, initially everything went rather quiet on the implementation
front.
In the meantime however a
pedestrian crossing has been installed at the T-junction between hoge Bankastraat and Aletta Jacobsweg and the road markings repainted. In the normal
course of events absolutely fine, but what about the simple, “unsurpassable
barrier” that was promised!
Fortunately
the Traffic Working Party has now received a detailed schedule of the reorganization
of Bankastraat.
19
August – 15 September
The central reservation to steer
and slow down traffic at the T-junction will be constructed;
- The diameter
of the area around the fountain on Bankaplein will be extended;
- Traffic
lane and parking bay markings will be applied to the road surface.
2010
The
design for the reorganization of the broad section of Bankastraat is currently
in progress and work will be carried out during the major revamp planned for 2010.
This section of the street must become less of a “race track” and
more of a “village square”. Such a metamorphosis is entirely
viable without sacrificing parking places and without contravening the regulations
regarding the emergency services. Naturally local residents will be closely involved
during the whole transformation process.
Willem
van Gijn
5
March 2009
City
council curtails Bankastraat metamorphosis
Alderman
Smit rounds off with "let’s get the show on the road!"
The hour had
come on 5 March for more than 1,200 residents of The Hague who had put their signatures
to the burgerinitiatief last year and all those living in the Archipelbuurt.
The Hague city council was to come to a decision on the citizen’s initiative
for a safer Bankastraat to improve the quality of life along this important community
artery. Initiative-takers Willem van Gijn and Robert van Moorsel took their places
alongside Mayor Jozias van Aartsen in the council chamber of The Hague City Hall.
The initiative-takers were complimented
from all sides for the manner in which they articulated and elucidated the wishes
of so many. Initially Alderman Peter Smit adopted two of the four most important
proposals of the burgerinitiatief. A simple but unsurpassable barrier
will be installed at the T-junction of Aletta Jacobsweg and Bankastraat to reduce
the speed of traffic. The diameter of the area around the fountain on Bankaplein
will be extended. But the suggested cycle-lanes were rejected by the Alderman.
The radical changes to the broad section of Bankastraat also found no favour with
him: no widening of the pavements, no central reservation and no narrowing of
the traffic lanes.
Fortunately
Bankastraat appeared to be a familiar part of The Hague to the council members.
And it is well known that Peter Smit often takes his life into his hands on the
bike and chooses to use Bankastraat.
Fellow
resident Bart de Liefde (VVD) called for Alderman Smit and the initiative-takers
to work together to find a solution for the broad section of Bankastraat. At the
request of Tymen Colijn (SP) and Wim Pijl (ChristenUnie/SGP) the council did not
rule on arrangements for cyclists. This will only be considered once the cycle
route from the city centre to Scheveningen has been decided. The Alderman hinted
that this route did not necessarily have to have to follow Bankastraat. But should
this indeed be the case then Bankastraat would have to be adapted at that point
and could very well be to the detriment of parking facilities.
As
far as the broad section of Bankastraat is concerned the council also went along
with the initiative-takers to some extent. However for the major revamp of the
broad section to be completed by 2010, the council and initiative-takers will
have to tackle the problem of the renovation of what Willem van Gijn calls “our
village square” together Concrete promises on wider pavements, and the narrowing
of traffic lanes, in spite of pressure from Willem (even minus the central reservation),
remained unforthcoming.
The city
council unanimously sided with these proposals. Yet again, a small step towards
the realization of the main pionts of the citizen’s initiative. In any event
the die has been cast or to quote Alderman, “and now let's get the show
on the road”. So the metamorphosis of Bankastraat in the next two years
is definite. But this means that we, as initiative takers and community, together
with the council and civil servants, the community police officers and many others,
have to get a move on.
5
March 2009, Bert Kreemers
joint
initiative-taker with Willem van Gijn and Robert van Moorsel
(Archipel
& Willemspark working party traffic)
Bankastraat on council meeting
agenda 5 March at 19.30
For
a safe and pleasant Bankastraat we need a full gallery during the discussion on
the burgerinitiatief .
 The
public council meeting will take place in the raadzaal (council chamber) in City
Hall and begins at 19.30. The Bankastraat initiative is point two on the agenda
and the initiative takers will put their case at the beginning of the session.
Support
from the many signatories of this citizen’s initiative and other Archipel&Willemspark
residents carries weight; so be there if you can. If not the discussion
can be seen live on politiek.residentie.net
23 February 2009
Fietsersbond
comments on burgerinitiatief
In
a letter to the members of the City Council dated 23 February 2009, the Fietsersbond
(Cyclists Union) gave its comments on the Bankastraat citizen’s initiative
and the council’s reaction to the initiative proposal.
The
letter includes:
-
the reasons for the Fietsersbond’s support of the initiative
-
what the Fietsersbond thinks of the initiative proposals
-
the pros and cons of cycle lanes and the reasons why these should be the ultimate
choice.
Complete
letter (in Dutch).
17
February 2009
Report
on City Districts Committee’s discussion on the citizen’s initiative
Questions,
questions and yet more questions. Members of the City Districts Committee visiting
the Archipelbuurt fired one question after another at alderman Peter Smit. The
subject was the burgerinitiatief, supported by more than 1,200 Hague
residents - especially those living in the Archipelbuurt - to improve the safety
and quality of life on Bankastraat. Questions too, about the council’s policy
for implementing the proposal made by the initiative takers.
Promises
from the alderman came thick and fast, but he held to the central reservation
solution for the transition from Aletta Jacobsweg to Bankastraat: it will form
a simple but unsurpassable barrier and its effect on driving behaviour will be
assessed after one year. The area around the fountain on Bankaplein will be extended
by two metres so that traffic cannot race straight into the narrow section of
Bankastraat.
The alderman is however
blocking road markings along the whole length of Bankastraat to delineate cycle
lanes. This brought an avalanche of questions from the Districts Committee members.
Apparently the effect of similar markings on Frederik Hendriklaan has been negligible.
So according to Smit this would not be the solution for Bankastraat either; even
though scientific research suggests otherwise. The numerous Committee members
who had flocked to the Community Centre have given the alderman plenty of extra
homework to do before the city council meeting scheduled for 5 March, when a decision
on the initiative will be taken.
The
real litmus test however will be the wide section of Bankastraat. Initially the
alderman swept aside almost all of the initiative’s proposals for a safer
and more pleasant wide ‘Banka’: especially a central reservation along
this section of Bankastraat, which he said would cause problems for the fire brigade
and hamper the emergency services. Under pressure from the Districts Committee
members, in particular Bart de Liefde who happens to be a local resident, and
from initiative taker Willem van Gijn, the alderman, however, agreed to give the
matter further consideration. Van Gijn argued for simple adjustments to improve
road/traffic safety and the quality of life. He was quite rightly complimented
for his lucid and professional presentation.
Afterwards
everyone was satisfied, but a sense of uncertainty prevailed about whether the
most important aspects of the proposal for a safer and better Bankastraat were
yet within reach. According to the initiative takers the burgerinitiatief was “threatening to miscarry”, but thanks to all the questions put
by the members of the City Districts Committee, the chances of a positive outcome
are more likely. This we will know on 5 March, if the entire council committee
rules on the citizen’s initiative.
BK
- 17 February 2009
City Districts Committee to discuss citizen’s
initiative Bankastraat
't Klokhuis Community Centre
Celebstraat
4
All 1,177
local residents who signed the citizen’s initiative and also everyone else
interested in safety on Bankastraat are cordially invited to be present at this
discussion.
The initiative takers
will be elucidating their proposal and it is chance for those in the neighbourhood
to have their say too. Proposals put forward by the Mayor & Aldermen deviate
somewhat from the original initiative and the A&W working party wants to be
able to convince the Committee that our neighbourhood thinks that all wishes stipulated
should be met.
Proposals concerning citizen’s initiative
Bankastraat
from
the Mayor & Aldermen to the council committee
Council
committee to discuss the initiative 17 February
January
2009
The
layout of intersection at Bankastraat and Aletta Jacobsweg will definitely be
improved this year. The Bankaplein roundabout will also be narrowed and there
will be clear delineation of parking and the centre of the road surface in Bankastraat.
During a large-scale improvement plan in 2010, entrance and exit structures will
be installed the length of Bankastraat. With these proposals the Mayor & Aldermen
have given their concrete interpretation of the citizen’s intiative for
a safer Bankastraat.
After examination
of the traffic situation in Bankastraat and the proposals made in the citizen’s
initiative, Peter Smit, alderman responsible for traffic, believes that there
is now a good plan on the table for the introduction of measures that will lead
to an improvement in road/traffic safety in Bankastraat.
A
central reservation will be added to the T-junction between Bankastraat and Dr.
Aletta Jacobsweg to prevent motorists cutting the corner here; they will have
to actually slow down and break in order to turn off Aletta Jacobsweg into Bankastraat.
The extension of the central fountain area on Bankaplein, thus narrowing the traffic
lane, will also ensure that motorists reduce their speed. While clear delineation
on the road surface will create an optical narrowing of the street and discourage
speeding. And the new arrangement of entrances and exits into and out of the side
streets will provide better visibility of the street and improve safety.
Not
all of the citizen’s initiative proposals will be implemented. Bankastraat
is too narrow for cycle paths and further investigation has suggested that a pedestrian
crossing will not result in a reduction in traffic speed on Bankastraat.
The City
News colomn of the www.denhaag.com website's Living in The Hague section
is
now using text from our site.
20 August 2008
Work
on hoge Bankastraat postponed till November
20
August 2008 – Yesterday the work was supposed to begin on the roundabout
and the central reservation at the junction at the top of hoge Bankastraat.
Unfortunately, it did not happen. On inquiry, I was told work would not now start
until November 2009: a delay of three months.
A
small peace offering was the receipt of two sketches of the replanning of the
broad section of Bankastraat. Shortly,
the Traffic Working Party will be meeting with the Council to discuss the
plans.
|
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| 1.
Broad section Bankastraat - showing central reservation |
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| 2.
Broad section Bankastraat - showing cycle paths and readjusted central reservation(s) |
As soon as we
have any more news on decisions taken and realization, we will make it known on
the website.
Willem van Gijn
Downloads
of larger scale sketches 1 & 2
November 2008
Council decision on burgerinitief
27
November 2008 - The burgerinitiatief was accepted as admissible by the council
committtee without any resistance. In the coming 12 weeks the substance of the
initiative will be examined and Willem van Gijn of our traffic working group has
been invited as petitioner to provide an explanation of the plan submitted.
10
November 2008 – The chairman of the municipal council, mayor Van Aartsen,
advised the council committee to take up the Bankastraat burgerinitiatief. The
council will come to a decision, concerning procedure rather than content, in
their meeting scheduled for 27 November 2008. Deliberation and the decision-making
process follows within eight weeks after the decision to take up such an initiative.
This term can be extended by four weeks if necessary.
Should
the council find the burgerinitiatief inadmissible, it is customary to submit
the initiative to the council executive for advice.
October 2008
More than 1,000 signatures
for a safer Bankastraat
More than a thousand
residents in The Hague have put their signature to the “burgerinitiatief”
petition for a safer Bankastraat and Bankaplein since lobbying started on15 September.
The
1,177 signatures were submitted to the city council on 28 October. This sort of
initiative enables individual neighbourhoods to get important issues onto the
council’s agenda.
September
2008
A safer and more environmentally pleasant Bankastraat is the
goal of a special working party made up of local Archipelbuurt residents. By means
of a burgerinitiatief (remember the Riouwbrug!) they want to convince the city
council to agree to the reorganization of Bankastraat. See proposal text below.
The working
party expects to be able to collect the necessary minimum of 750 signatures required
for their proposal during September. Every Hagenaar aged 14 and older can sign
the petition.
Residents will visit
as many homes in the district as possible to gather signatures. Petition forms
can also be found in the Klokhuis Community Centre in case you are not at home
when working party members call.
You
can also download the form if you prefer so that you can ask your family and friends to sign too
(NB: only residents of The Hague aged 14 and over are eligible to sign).
Please
deliver the completed form to the Klokhuis (Celebesstraat 4) or send it to Willem
van Gijn: Bankastraat 95 A, 2585 EJ Den Haag.
Direction
Bankaplein
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Direction
Laan Copes van Cattenburch
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Sketches:
Rob Douw |
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Proposal submitted to
the city council of The Hague
Burgerinitiatief
Bankastraat (Archipelbuurt)
Initiative
summary
Reorganization
of Bankastraat through various means to improve road safety:
1. Changes to Aletta Jacobsweg / Kerkhoflaan / Bankastraat intersection so traffic
entering the street is channeled via a roundabout;
2. Reducing speed on Bankaplein by extending area around fountain thus channelling
and slowing traffic;
3. Stippled road markings along the whole length of Bankastraat to make motorists
more aware of cyclists and where possible (Bankaplein) installation of actual
cycle lanes;
4. A continuous pavement along the length of the broader section of Bankastraat and
the narrower section, varying in width, with exits from Sumatrastraat and
Soendastraat.
5. Broad section of Bankastraat: a single traffic lane for traffic entering the street,
creation of a central reservation and a widening of the pavement area;
Explanation
of proposal
Bankastraat
has become increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
The volume of traffic has intensified because motorists and delivery vans use
the street as a short-cut route. And the wide expanse of asphalt encourages speeding
and double parking.
Although
visibility at the intersection with Aletta Jacobsweg / Kerkhoflaan / Bankastraat
is poor this does not have the effect of making motorists reduce their speed.
Several serious accidents sadly prove this point.
Bankastraat
serves as the hub of the neighbourhood but is coming under increasing pressure
because of the situation described above. The victims are the residents, retailers
and pupils attending the Archipel School as well as visitors to the two local
cemeteries who use the street on a daily basis.
The
proposed measures will improve road safety both by reducing the volume and the
speed of traffic. Not only will Bankastraat become safer but the quality of life
on the street will improve, and will thus have a positive effect on the whole
district, including the retailers.
Global
estimate of costs
Around
€600,000: estimated by DSO verkeer & infrastructuur (city development
department)
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17
February 2011 - The chairman of our A&W Residents Association appears on THEXPAT.TV
talking about the horse chestnut trees along Koninginnegracht and the decision
to reprieve them this week. 
Both
the AVN and the A&W have urgently requested the Committee and the municipal
council to prevent the majestic trees from being felled to make way for the version
of the new tram route Alderman Smit is determined to push through, and to consider
the advice published by the Adviesraad Monumentale Bomen (advisory body for historical
trees).
20
September 2007 – The Dienst Stadsbeheer (City Management Service) announced
that construction will start on the cycle bridge opposite Riouwstraat connecting
Koninginnegracht with Raamweg. As well as the building of the new bridge, the
tram stops in both directions at the end of Riouwstraat will be relocated and
extended. The existing cycle/pedestrian bridge across to Raamweg will also be
renovated.