Rotterdam closes busy shopping street to cars in bid to curb traffic chaos

Despite criticism from coalition parties, Rotterdam alderman Pascal Lansink-Bastemeijer is going to close the Meent, a busy shopping street in Rotterdam, to vehicles for the whole summer. Nuisance caused by badly behaving drivers on the Meent and other streets has been an important political issue in Rotterdam for years.

Surprisingly, a large part of the opposition is supporting the measure. The PvdA, GroenLinks, and Partij voor de Dieren think that traffic on the Meent is causing nuisance and dangerous situations.

Two coalition parties, DENK and Leefbaar Rotterdam, are against the decision. In their view, residents, business owners, and visitors are the ones who will suffer as a result of this decision, as this measure makes the city center harder to reach.

Many other residents, however, have been complaining for years about the nuisance caused by cars and motorcycles with loud exhausts cruising through the city center. In recent years, Rotterdam has already taken various measures to address this. For example, on nights with a lot of nightlife activity, streets with many bars and restaurants, including the Meent, have been closed to traffic.

Hospitality entrepreneur Robèr Willemsen, who chairs the business interest group for the street, told the AD that most entrepreneurs are generally positive about the measure. “Of course, there are concerns, because business owners want to remain accessible. Some are already seeing a drop in revenue due to the closure of the Hofplein. But we all agree that something has to be done. The nuisance is outrageous. It’s never been this bad before. One thing is certain: things can’t go on like this.”

The Meent is currently closed to cars during the weekend from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.