Internal ministry documents
By René Lukassen·0 minutes ago·Edit: 0 minutes ago
© ANPRTL
A speed increase on more than the four highways that the government recently announced is virtually impossible. Money is needed to make this possible and the ‘significant costs’ have not yet been budgeted.
This is evident from documents from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) that became public after an appeal to the Open Government Act (Woo) by RTL News. The ministry has so far remained silent about the feasibility of a speed increase on highways other than the four previously announced.
130 more on the highway, ‘where possible’, the cabinet promised in the main lines agreement of May this year. Research by RTL Nieuws already showed that this would not be easy anywhere.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management confirmed this in October. It then announced that there are only four ‘promising’ routes that could be eligible for a speed increase in the short term.
© RTL Nieuws You may soon be able to drive 130 on these four routes.
Compensate for nitrogen
Minister Barry Madlener of I&W then called a larger-scale approach ‘not realistic’. But IenW did not want to rule out the possibility that additional routes would be added during this cabinet period.
Out internal pieces It now appears that measures are required for new route sections – in addition to the four announced – because an increase in speed leads to more nitrogen deposition in vulnerable Natura 2000 areas. This extra deposition must be compensated by purchasing nitrogen rights from farmers and no money has been budgeted for this.
There is no other way, according to the documents, which also state that Minister Madlener has asked his officials to come up with ‘creative solutions’, ‘within the legal frameworks’.
Impassable road
Madlener himself suggested during a hearing that a speed increase might be possible because the vehicle fleet has become cleaner since 2019 and therefore produces less nitrogen emissions. But that is an impassable road, officials said.
A so-called ADC test is also not an option, say the officials. Such a test would have to demonstrate that the speed increase involves a compelling reason of great public interest. “The European Commission has provided guidance on what such reasons are,” the officials said.
“In view of those guidelines, it is not likely that it can be legally substantiated that the increase in the maximum speed is a more important social interest than the (possible) negative consequences for Natura 2000 areas.”
Sound
The fact that four sections are now being further investigated does not mean that those route sections will actually be able to drive faster in the future. A section of the A7 west of the Zuidbroek junction may be canceled due to the noise.
When people drive faster on motorways, the amount of road traffic noise also increases. This can be overcome by replacing the asphalt with very open asphalt concrete (zoab). But here too, the costs of replacing the asphalt have not yet been estimated by IenW.
Speed Limit Shenanigans: Government on the Slow Lane
By René Lukassen — Buckle your seatbelts, folks! It seems our beloved Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (or IenW, for those who like their acronyms nice and snappy) has come to a grinding halt when it comes to increasing speed limits. Apparently, the thrill of racing along the Dutch highways at a tantalizing 130 km/h isn’t as easy to achieve as one might think. Spoiler alert: It involves a splash of cash and a sprinkle of nitrogen regulations.
Highway to Nowhere?
If you thought zipping along more than the four highways recently announced was just a matter of giving the green light, think again! Documents revealed by RTL News — thanks to a charming little nudge from the Open Government Act — have unveiled the Ministry’s hush-hush discussions about this pressing issue (or lack thereof). Now we know: the government is not exactly rolling in the dough needed to bail out additional highways. It’s like trying to fuel a Ferrari with a bicycle pump!
In May, the cabinet promised a speedy increase ‘where possible.’ However, it seems that “possible” may just be the minister’s way of saying “not a chance” — at least, if you count all the complexities involved!
Compensating for Nitrogen? Now That’s Some Heavy Lifting
Minister Barry Madlener described a broader approach to speed increase as ‘not realistic.’ Well, that’s one way to put the brakes on enthusiasm! But the icing on the cake? We learn that faster driving leads to more nitrogen deposition in our cherished Natura 2000 areas, which sounds remarkably like ‘trampling on the flowers’ in bureaucratic language.
To fix this nitrogen conundrum, the government is looking to purchase rights from farmers. Very green, right? Except, oops, they haven’t budgeted for this little endeavor either! Looks like someone forgot to check their financial rearview mirror while drafting these ambitious plans.
Fast Cars, Slow Plans
The ministry seems to have thrown realism out the window with Madlener himself suggesting a speed uptick might be possible due to newer, cleaner vehicles. Ah, yes! The classic “my new car is cleaner, so let’s drive faster!” argument. But, tiptoeing back to reality, officials responded with a resounding “not a hope”.
What’s this ‘ADC test’ you ask? It’s a legal hoop-jumping exercise required to demonstrate that increasing speeds is actually for the greater good. The European Commission has set some pretty clear rules, and frankly, it sounds like we’d need a miracle to convince anyone in Brussels that speeding past sleepy towns is more critical than protecting the natural world. Good luck with that!
Noise: The Uninvited Alex Reed
And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, we have noise levels to consider! Picture this: more cars speeding down the highway means… you guessed it! More noise! One of the routes with potential speed increases has already hit a pothole — sorry, it may be canceled because of concern over noise levels. Now, the ministry suggests that replacing the asphalt with some kind of space-age ‘very open asphalt concrete’ could resolve this. But you stop and think, have they even priced that out? Who knew the road to speed was paved with so many costly bumps?
Wrap It Up!
The four sections currently under consideration for higher speeds do not guarantee a racetrack scenario in the near future. It’s a classic case of “let’s promise the world but can’t even deliver a traffic cone” kind of deal.
In the end, speeding may be a dream — but as we all know, dreams can be costly. The ministry’s grand ambitions face an overpowering combination of regulations, nitrogen rights, and budgetary hiccups. So, unless they figure out how to juggle numbers as skillfully as a circus performer, I suggest we all just enjoy the scenic view while traveling at a leisurely pace. Who knows? Maybe the slower drive will give us time to appreciate the beauty of those Natura 2000 areas! Just don’t hold your breath waiting for speeds to match the thrill of the open road.
Stay tuned for more adventures in the land of bureaucracy! Until then, keep your foot off the gas — on the highways at least!
Documents from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) reveal that increasing speed limits on more highways than the four currently under consideration is highly improbable. The government has identified substantial financial resources that would be necessary to enact such changes; however, these significant costs remain unallocated in the current budget.
As evidence from an appeal to the Open Government Act (Woo) highlighted by RTL News, the ministry has not publicly addressed the feasibility of expanding speed limit increases beyond the four previously identified routes. The main lines agreement established by the cabinet in May of this year promised drivers the ability to travel at 130 km/h ‘where possible,’ but RTL Nieuws’s research has already indicated the considerable challenges in implementing this across the entire highway system.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management confirmed in October that only four ‘promising’ routes are being considered for potential speed limit increases in the short term. Minister Barry Madlener of I&W characterized a broader implementation as ‘not realistic,’ although officials did not entirely dismiss the possibility of including additional routes during the current cabinet’s term.
According to internal documents, significant measures will need to be taken for any proposed new route sections, apart from the existing four. This is due to the anticipated rise in nitrogen deposition linked to higher speeds, particularly within vulnerable Natura 2000 areas that require strict environmental protections. The government would need to purchase nitrogen rights from farmers to offset this impact, yet no budget allocations for such an endeavor have been established.
The documents also reveal that Minister Madlener has urged his staff to explore ‘creative solutions’ while operating within existing legal frameworks. While Madlener indicated during a recent hearing that a speed increase might be achievable, citing an improvement in the vehicle fleet’s emissions since 2019, officials argued that pursuing this line of reasoning is ultimately untenable.
Officials dismissed the idea of conducting an ADC test, which would require substantiating that increasing speed limits serves a compelling and significant public interest. The guidance from the European Commission specifies the criteria for such interests, and officials concluded that it is highly unlikely to legally prove that raising the maximum speed limit outweighs the negative consequences that may arise for Natura 2000 areas.
It is crucial to note that while four highway sections are under serious consideration, this does not guarantee that speed limits will increase on those routes. For instance, a portion of the A7 west of the Zuidbroek junction may be deemed unsuitable for faster travel due to elevated noise levels associated with increased traffic speed.
As traffic speeds on highways rise, so too does the level of road noise, a concern that can potentially be mitigated by replacing existing asphalt with open-textured asphalt concrete (zoab). However, much like other areas of the project, the costs for implementing such an asphalt replacement process have yet to be assessed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
How do proposed speed limit increases and associated noise pollution impact mental well-being in communities near highways?
Mental protection. To mitigate this impact, the government would need to acquire nitrogen rights from farmers, a task for which there is currently no budgetary provision.
Furthermore, Minister Madlener suggested that potential speed increases could be justified by the cleaner vehicle fleet since 2019, leading to lower nitrogen emissions. However, officials clarified that this argument lacks legal standing. The requirement for an ADC test—a legal assessment to prove that the speed increase serves a compelling public interest—has also been disregarded by the officials who deem it unlikely to pass scrutiny under European Commission guidelines, which prioritize the protection of Natura 2000 areas.
Adding to the cacophony of challenges, road noise poses another significant hurdle. An increase in the speed limit would invariably raise traffic noise levels, with one of the proposed route sections on the A7 potentially being scrapped due to this issue. The ministry has suggested the use of a special type of asphalt designed to reduce noise, known as ‘very open asphalt concrete’ (zoab), but cost estimates for this solution have yet to be provided.
despite the four routes currently being examined for potential speed limit increases, the obstacles appear daunting, comprising budget constraints, regulatory hurdles concerning nitrogen emissions, and noise pollution concerns. Until these issues are addressed, the prospect of wider speed limits on Dutch highways remains distant, illustrating the complexities involved in modern transportation policy-making.
So for now, it seems drivers may need to temper their enthusiasm for speed and enjoy the leisurely pace while admiring the natural beauty of the Netherlands—at least for the foreseeable future.
