Space for cyclists and pedestrians

What is the vision of long-term mobility for the municipality of Borne? The answer to this question will be formulated in the coming year, after input from all kinds of stakeholders, including residents. The City Council will soon review the core principles, which will be further refined and fleshed out as part of the follow-up process.

Roads at 30 km/h

“One of the main points is that you really want as many people as possible to walk or cycle. It’s healthier at the start, but also often faster,” says Alderman David Vermorken. and to the car on foot and not – as was the case in the past – mainly facilitating the car Quality and safe infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians should encourage people to leave their cars at home Best for environment, health and quality of life. Plus, it all takes up less space, creating opportunities for more greenery and other climate adaptation measures. The goal is to design virtually any roads within built-up areas such as 30 km/h roads, as recently happened with the Eurostraat.The reduced speed, which will thus become the norm, would also make traffic safer.

The flood belt connection provides opportunities

Next spring, the province should make a final decision on the Vloedbelt connection. Once this provincial road around Zenderen is in place, it will provide opportunities to completely redesign the current N743, which will then become much quieter. In Zenderen, people are already thinking about the new situation, but there will also soon be opportunities in the center of Borne. Initially, space will become available along the N743, when the road is completed as a provincial road and becomes an ordinary municipal road. Particular attention is already being paid to creating parking facilities for long-term users, for example, which will reduce parking pressure in the centre.

To cut?

Vermorken: “Several scenarios for the ring road are being worked on and we will present them to the inhabitants in May.” The plan was once to ‘cut’ the N743 near Oud Borne, to connect the – then new – Bornsche Maten district to the core. The first inhabitants felt that instead of a busy road, they would have a park in front of their houses. However, the province never wanted to cooperate, as long as the N743 had such an important regional traffic function. With the arrival of the Vloedbelt connection, the maps, but also the control, will soon be different.

Participation

But the question is whether this means that the reduction that was designed at the time will be carried out. Circumstances and ideas change and, furthermore, in the wake of the discussion on the connecting road, it appeared that people elsewhere in the Borne feared nuisance if through traffic could no longer use the ring road. Residents of Stroom Esch would then find it more difficult to get to Hengelo and the highway. In Wensink-Zuid people fear a big increase in traffic on the Eurostraat and further down the Bornsche Maten people do not want a much busier Bornsche Beeklaan. Traffic experts will present the city council and residents with different options for the N743, with all the pros and cons. This promises to lead to an interesting discussion, from which a choice will ultimately have to be made. “We will listen carefully to all arguments, but we can never please everyone.” (A J.)