Dutch organizations push for higher infrastructure, mobility budget

A group of 24 Dutch organizations sent an urgent letter to Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday calling on him to increase the budget for infrastructure and mobility in the Netherlands. According to the organization, the 10 billion euros reserved for the next two years is not nearly enough, NU.nl reports. The recovering economy means more traffic on the roads, in the air, on the railway and on the water, the organizations write. But the Dutch infrastructure is not ready to handle it. "Simply put, more money is necessary for the accelerated approach to road infrastructure, better control of locks and bridges, high quality rail transport and excellent bicycle provisions", they write. According to the writers, half of the Netherlands' mobility consists of walking and cycling, but the government invests almost nothing in that. "If you want travelers to be able to switch to other types of mobility, there needs to be proper facilities for this. Such as good bicycle parking facilities at stations and fast bike trails for example." Half of the 10 billion euros reserved for infrastructure is going towards maintenance of existing infrastructure, and not upgrading and improving to handle the increasing traffic. The letter writers therefore call on Rutte to let this weigh heavily in the choices he has to make now and in future. "It supports the future prosperity and welfare of the Netherlands." The signatories include ANWB, travelers organization Rover, NS, Schiphol and cyclists association Fietsersbond.