Almere to Amsterdam subway should extend west to Haarlem: Politicians

A planned new subway line between Amsterdam and Almere should be extended so that it runs from Amsterdam West to Haarlem, the GroenLinks and PvdA district councilors in Amsterdam Oost and Nieuw West said in a letter published in Het Parool.

According to the councilors, extending the new Noord-Zuid subway line to Schiphol was high on city and national politicians' agendas last year. Doing so would mainly improve accessibility to Amsterdam for tourists, they said. "A new metro line from Almere via IJburg to Nieuw-West and Haarlem connects Amsterdammers on the outskirts of the city with each other and with the city center and the region - and that connection deserves at least as much attention."

The number of Amsterdam residents is expanding, with construction plans expected to significantly increase the populations of Zeeburgereiland, IJburg and Nieuw West. And public transport must be able to keep up with this growth, especially with sustainability concerns increasingly limiting car traffic, the councilors said.

A subway line between Amsterdam and Almere is already on the agenda due to plans to build some 25 thousand homes in Almere Pampus. "Now that government parties in The Hague are also arguing for an extra metro line and the government wants to make a billion-euros fund available to improve infrastructure in the Netherlands, we hope that the Amsterdam office [of mayor and aldermen] will further increase its ambitions."

"Public transport must be made more attractive with shorter travel times, more seats and longer connections. For that we need to think bigger and regionally, so that more visitors from outside of Amsterdam can leave the car at home. Then the air quality improves and we create space to make the city more attractive," the councilors said.