Amsterdam-Zuidoost tests tunnel lighting to make streets safer for women
The municipality of Amsterdam-Zuidoost is testing new lighting designs in several underpasses to improve safety for women, city officials reported. The move follows the August murder of 17-year-old Lisa, who was killed while cycling home from Amsterdam to Abcoude.
Three tunnels near the Bullewijkpad are part of the trial, each using a different approach: LED side strips, ceiling-mounted spotlights, and additional light boxes. Bas Vroon, municipal project leader for the tests, told Het Parool that the goal is not simply to increase brightness. “If the area outside the tunnel is dark and the tunnel itself is very brightly lit, it feels like a large black hole. People don’t want to go there,” he said. The trial uses indirect lighting to improve visibility while reducing glare and will continue through March.
Zuidoost has more than 150 tunnels, many of which are poorly lit and perceived as unsafe, particularly for women commuting by bike or on foot. Alderwoman Melanie van der Horst said women notice potential dangers differently than men. “Men often look straight ahead, while women notice what is beside them because danger can come from there. They prefer tunnels with well-lit sides,” she said.
The lighting tests are part of broader efforts to make public spaces safer, including upgrades to bike paths along Spaklerweg and Holterbergweg, metro and train stations, and local parks and squares. The initiative comes amid a series of attacks on women in the region.
In response to safety concerns, the province of Noord-Holland has launched an online portal where residents can report roads, bike paths, or bus stops they consider unsafe. Jeroen Olthof of the PvdA, a member of the Provincial Executive, said, “Everyone should be able to travel safely, day and night. It is unacceptable that many women and girls do not feel this way. Broken lighting or poorly visible areas must be fixed without delay.”
