Frequently Asked Questions About Traffic

Complaints and reports often request measures such as the installation of speed bumps, bollards, or a traffic mirror. The municipality is hesitant to implement these types of measures. The starting points are traffic legislation and guidelines for road design. There are several reasons for this:

• Measures often have adverse side effects, for example, for pedestrians or emergency services. Speed bumps can lead to noise and vibration disturbance for local residents. Narrowings can be dangerous for cyclists due to obstacles and the risk of getting trapped.
• Measures often have just as many opponents as supporters.
• It is known that many measures have insufficient effect.
• Many complaints are an experience that is insufficiently supported by facts and figures.
• Distraction is a major cause of traffic unsafety. Too many measures, such as traffic signs that road users encounter, can also cause distraction. As a result, attention can also wane for the truly important matters, such as a crossing pedestrian.
• The municipality has a limited budget that it must spend as effectively as possible, preferably on measures that are sensible or necessary for as large a portion of the residents or traffic as possible.

The municipality is very hesitant about placing additional traffic signs. A traffic situation itself must be sufficiently clear with the legally necessary traffic signs. This prevents a surplus of traffic signs from arising. Too many traffic signs create a cluttered and confusing streetscape. This could even have the opposite effect on traffic safety because it is distracting. 

More traffic signs therefore do not necessarily ensure better traffic safety. The municipality therefore aims to achieve a clear system of traffic signs, with the right signs in the right place and without redundant references. Here too, traffic legislation and road design guidelines are leading.

The municipality keeps track of complaints and reports. When a street is scheduled for major maintenance, it is examined whether, and if so, what improvements are possible. These can be improvements for traffic such as speed or parking, but also for public greenery, for example. 

Where space and/or budget is limited, the municipality makes the best possible balance between the various wishes and needs. For larger projects, the municipality informs residents and stakeholders in a timely manner. The municipality considers good participation important so that those involved can have their say and contribute ideas.

For minor traffic measures, such as the placement of a traffic sign, resident notification letters are not sent out. However, the municipality is legally required to issue a traffic decree for various measures, such as installing traffic signs. Traffic decrees are published and made available for public inspection for 6 weeks. More information about traffic decrees can be found here.

Parking nuisance is experienced in many residential areas. For example, there is a shortage of parking spaces, vehicles are parked obstructively, or driveways are blocked. When more cars need to be parked than there are spaces available, it is referred to as high parking pressure. Often, this parking pressure turns out to be less severe than anticipated, and space is available, albeit at a slightly greater walking distance.

One reason for high parking pressure is that many residential areas were not designed for the volume of cars present today. Older residential areas, in particular, were constructed during a time when very few cars were on the road. Almost all households now own a car, and many households have two or more. Furthermore, numerous homes have had their carports or garages converted into additional living or storage space. Consequently, more cars must be parked on the street than was originally intended when those neighborhoods were designed.

Parking nuisance also occurs because cars are used more frequently for activities such as shopping or dropping off and picking up children from school or sports. The solution lies more in reducing car usage rather than in constructing additional parking spaces.

Another important consideration is that many public charging stations for electric vehicles need to be installed. For this purpose, certain parking spaces are designated as charging bays where parking is restricted to electric vehicles only. As a result, the number of regular parking spaces decreases, thereby increasing the parking pressure. The municipality carefully balances the demand for charging stations with the overall need for parking spaces. More information on electric driving and charging stations can be found here.

As a general rule, the municipality does not construct additional parking spaces. Furthermore, bollards, extra traffic signs, or parking bans are not introduced. During planned major maintenance, an assessment is made to determine whether, and what, improvements can be implemented.

Parking in front of a business or residential exit is not permitted, even with your own car. You can report any issues to the enforcement department and at supervision. You can also inquire about the enforcement department and supervision by calling the general phone number 14 071.

The Municipality of Voorschoten values sustainability and therefore encourages the use of electric vehicles (EVs). This also includes plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Residents and business owners who lack private parking on their own property or do not have access to a parking space via their Homeowners Association (VvE) can apply for a public charging station. More information on electric driving and charging stations can be found here.

To use public charging stations, you must apply for a charging card. Various types of charging cards are available. To determine where you can apply for a charging card, please visit Laadpaswijzer. This website also provides an overview of all key features and up-to-date rates for the different charging cards.

The municipality has arranged the provision and operation of charging stations through a concession agreement. Charging stations from the first concession (2017-2021) have a capacity of 11 kW. Charging stations from the current concession (2021-2024) have a capacity of 22 kW. Older charging stations are generally not replaced. The actual charging speed also depends on the vehicle and the plug connection. It is possible that public charging stations will also be installed by other providers. These may offer a higher charging capacity. The municipality is also exploring the possibilities and developments regarding fast-charging stations.

It is not permitted to keep a charging station occupied for an unnecessarily long time. According to the traffic regulations of the RVV (article 24), a parking space must be used as indicated on any supplementary sign. At the charging stations in Voorschoten, the supplementary sign reads "electric vehicle charging," which means a car should only be parked there if it is actually being charged. 

No, this is not permitted. While we value sustainability and encourage initiatives, the municipality must also take other interests and practical matters into account:

• The municipality is responsible for a safe, highly accessible, and usable outdoor space. Cables are a nuisance and potentially hazardous to pedestrians with limited mobility and to children. Cables are also an obstruction for items such as rollators, wheelchairs, and strollers.
• Special mats do not sufficiently solve this problem, as they also create uneven surfaces that can be a nuisance.
• Mats can lead to disputes regarding liability: the owner of the mat or the municipality.

Recently, if your address meets certain Requirements , you can now request a cable trench from the municipality. A cable trench consists of special tiles with a built-in channel that are laid into the sidewalk. The cable trench ensures that no one can trip over the cable and that the cable is not damaged, as it is neatly concealed in the ground or within the special tiles. You can find more information about this and the application form on this page: Sustainable Transportation.

Complaints and reports regarding speeding are submitted on a regular basis. The municipality uses a “ programme ” system that tracks various data points, such as driving speed. This system provides real-time data for the entire municipality, derived from so-called “floating car data,” in which driving speed is calculated based on the standard signals emitted by vehicles and cell phones. This data is sufficiently comprehensive and reliable to make a determination regarding speed and to verify reports. In most cases, the measured speed differs only slightly from the speed limit, so there is no reason to take action or conduct enforcement checks. The municipality also conducts its own traffic counts and measurements.

To obtain an accurate picture of driving speeds, the so-called V₈₅ percentile is examined. This is the speed that is not exceeded by 85% of motorists, but is exceeded by 15% of motorists. This is done to remove extremes from the measurement. There are always road users who drive (or want to drive) too fast despite the road design. These road users do not provide a realistic picture of the actual traffic situation. The V₈₅ rule reflects the speed that a large majority of motorists experience as reasonable and safe.

The municipality has a number of electronic speed displays. These are set up at a new location approximately every three to four weeks. This is part of the behavior-change campaign. Research shows that their impact begins to diminish after about two weeks. For this reason, we regularly move the speed displays to different locations. The displays show every passing driver how fast they are going, and this often has a positive effect on behaviour. The municipality determines the locations where the displays will be installed based, in part, on reports from the public. The location must also meet a number of practical Requirements , such as ensuring the display can be properly mounted.

Electronic speed display

As a rule, the municipality does not install additional speed bumps or other speed-reducing measures. During scheduled major maintenance, it is assessed whether, and if so which, improvements are feasible.

The rules and Requirements regarding speed checks are not determined by the municipality or the police, but by the Public Prosecution Service (OM). Road authorities, such as the municipality, as well as the police, have no influence over this. 

Therefore, the police can only check speed if permitted under the rules of the Public Prosecution Service (OM). One of the rules of the OM is that speed checks are generally not conducted on 30 km/h roads and in 30 km/h zones. The speed cameras in the Netherlands, and therefore also in Voorschoten, are owned by the OM, which also determines the policy regarding them.

The Municipality of Voorschoten follows national policy for road design. This also dictates the applicable speed limit. Within built-up areas, this is 30 or 50 km/h, with the exception of "pedestrian speed" in residential areas and 70 km/h on major arterial roads. The latter does not occur in Voorschoten. 

In the Traffic Plan, the municipality has classified all its roads according to this principle, thereby also determining the speed limits. With a few exceptions, this has also been implemented on the streets. Speed limits other than those resulting from the Traffic Plan are generally not possible.