Traffic Study: North-West Apeldoorn

At the end of February 2026, residents of Noord-West received a letter regarding the progress of the investigation.

Over the past year, the council has explored the three possible solutions in greater depth. This is a complex issue and it has become clear that, depending on the choice made, the consequences for the neighbourhood could be significant. For this reason, the study is being further developed and it is not yet clear what the best solution is. The study includes face-to-face interviews with some of the residents.

Reducing nuisance and some of the bottlenecks

Although no final decision has yet been made, the Municipal Executive has decided to go ahead and reduce the nuisance and some of the bottlenecks to some extent. To this end, the council will implement the following measures, amongst others, between 2026 and 2028:

• discussions with businesses and the business association to encourage freight traffic to use the A50 and A1 more frequently (2026);
• modifying sewer manholes on Reeënlaan and Hertenlaan to reduce noise and vibrations (2026);
• improving safety at the pedestrian crossing on Anklaarseweg near Koninginnelaan (2026–2027) and a study into the pedestrian crossing near Marconistraat (2027–2028);
• improvements to the junction between the OostVeluweweg and the A50 for heavy goods vehicles (expected in 2027/2028).

These measures are separate from the final decision on which of the three possible solutions to adopt.

What happens next?

Over the next six months, the focus will be on one-to-one discussions with residents. After that, all the findings will be collated into a recommendation. On that basis, the council will choose one of the three options.

In February 2025, we organised a residents’ evening to discuss the traffic situation in North-West Apeldoorn. We promised at the time to reach a decision before the summer, but unfortunately we were unable to do so. The investigation into possible solutions is taking longer than expected. We want the council to be able to make a well-informed decision, which is why we are first completing all the investigations. A specialist research agency began its work after the summer. We expect their report by the end of 2025. We will then organise another residents’ meeting to discuss the results and gather your views. The council is expected to make a decision in the first quarter of 2026.

On the evening of Wednesday 5 February, two residents’ meetings were held at De Groene Hoven. A total of around 120 residents attended. During the evening, three proposed solutions were presented, for which the council has expressed a preference. The council has not yet made a final decision, but during a presentation and a question-and-answer session, we outlined the current options to the residents.

It was a productive evening, during which residents shared their key concerns and issues with the local council. These will be taken into account in the further development of the three possible courses of action.

The following possible solutions were discussed.

• Less traffic on the roads in north-west Apeldoorn
  • Divert traffic via the Oost Veluweweg to the A50 and A1.
  • Speed limits: reduced to 30 km/h on Hertenlaan, Reeënlaan and Anklaarseweg (between Zwolseweg and Kanaal Noord), as well as on Amersfoortseweg and, outside built-up areas, on Zwolseweg
  • Provide access to the Stadhoudersmolen industrial estate via the Oost Veluweweg/A50 and no longer via the Anklaarseweg.
• More space for traffic on the main roads
  • Hertenlaan/Reeënlaan will be developed as a fully-fledged part of the Ring, as a single road with two-way traffic, cycle paths and green spaces. The speed limit will remain at 50 km/h. This may mean that some homes will have to be demolished or that a tunnel will be built under Hertenlaan and Reeënlaan.
  • Access to the Stadhoudersmolen industrial estate will be via the Oost Veluweweg/A50. The speed limit on the Anklaarseweg (between Zwolseweg and Kanaal Noord) will be reduced to 30 km/h.
• Maintain the current situation with minor improvements
  • The routes and speeds on all the roads concerned will remain largely the same.
  • Small changes, such as dedicated cycle paths and improved parking facilities, improve the quality of life.

The council will now work out the details of the options. This will involve drawing up preliminary designs, preparing rough cost estimates, analysing the various impacts in greater detail, and holding further consultations with stakeholders. The points raised by residents on 5 February will also be taken into account in this process. The outcome of this work will ultimately be discussed with the municipal council and put forward for a decision.

In May/June 2024, a survey was conducted amongst residents to gauge their views on the traffic situation. Residents of Hertenlaan, Reeënlaan, Anklaarseweg, Zwolseweg and surrounding streets were invited to take part. Around 160 people completed the survey.

Forty people were selected from this group to take part in two working sessions, ensuring a balanced representation from each street. These working sessions took place on 2 July and 11 September 2024.

During the first working session, the results of the analyses and the survey were presented. The participants also discussed the issues in small groups and came up with possible solutions.

During the two working sessions, possible approaches to solutions were presented, to which the participants were able to respond.

In September 2024, discussions were also held with local schools and businesses. During that period, the SAB/Roelofs traffic consultancy carried out research and contributed ideas on possible solutions. The results of the research and the input from stakeholders have been compiled in the report Traffic Study: Apeldoorn North-West (pdf, 9.9 MB).