Nieuws

Across Europe, more and more cities are adopting 30 km/h speed limits to improve safety, reduce noise and enhance liveability. From October 2025, Haarlem will follow this path, joining Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and others in making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists, while setting an example for sustainable urban mobility.

Geplaatst op 02 oktober 2025

Haarlem’s Move 

From 1 October 2025, Haarlem, a historic city in the province of North Holland, approximately 20 km west of Amsterdam, will lower the maximum speed to 30 km/h on 132 streets. This measure targets residential areas and roads shared by cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. The municipality expects this change to reduce accidents by 20–30% and improve liveability in the city, which has a population of around 165,000 residents (Gemeente Haarlem, 2025; Haarlems Nieuws, 2025). 

To reinforce compliance, Haarlem is installing new signage, adjusting traffic lights, and gradually redesigning streets with narrower carriageways, wider cycle paths, and brick paving. Main arterial roads will retain the 50 km/h limit. As Haarlem’s council explained: “We put pedestrians and cyclists first. This means asking motorists to adapt—for safety and for a pleasant city environment.” 

National Context: A Dutch Trend 

Haarlem joins a growing list of Dutch cities adopting lower urban speed limits: 

  • Amsterdam, introduced 30 km/h on 80% of its city streets in December 2023. Within a year, accidents on those streets fell 11%, with pedestrian and (e-)cyclist collisions down 15%, while traffic noise decreased by 1.5 decibels. Sixty percent of residents viewed the measure positively (Veilig Verkeer Nederland, 2025). 
  • Rotterdam implemented 30 km/h on 115 streets ahead of schedule to avoid wet-season roadwork delays (Rotterdam Fietsersbond). 
  • Utrecht and Leiden are also extending 30 km/h limits in dense urban areas. 

The Dutch road safety organisation Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) advocates 30 km/h as the default speed within built-up areas. Research by SWOV (Institute for Road Safety Research) suggests that this could reduce serious road injuries and fatalities by 22–31% (SWOV, 2025). 

European Context: Towards a New Normal 

This Dutch trend forms part of a wider European movement: 

    • Paris, France: 30 km/h is standard on most city streets, while the ring road (Périphérique) speed limit was lowered to 50 km/h in 2024 to improve safety and reduce emissions (Le Monde, 2024). 
    • Helsinki, Finland: In 2025, the city recorded zero traffic fatalities over the past year, attributed to 30 km/h zones on more than half of urban streets, combined with safer street design for pedestrians and cyclists (European Transport Safety Council, 2025). 

    Evidence consistently shows benefits: fewer accidents, quieter streets, and safer conditions for vulnerable road users. 

    Outlook 

    Haarlem’s decision reflects a converging European movement: reducing urban speed limits to improve safety, reduce noise, and enhance liveability. While enforcement and compliance remain challenges, early evidence from Amsterdam, Haarlem, and other European peers demonstrates clear positive outcomes. 

    As more Dutch and European cities adopt the measure, the 30 km/h zone is rapidly becoming the new urban standard, offering a model for balancing mobility, safety, and sustainability in dense urban environments. 

    Connecting Cities: How Are You Balancing Safety and Mobility? 

    Given these developments, how are cities in your country approaching the balance between mobility, safety, and liveability? Are 30 km/h zones part of your urban policy agenda, and what outcomes or lessons have you observed? 

    References