Report first think-aloud evening

On Tuesday evening, September 7, 2023, the first brainstorming evening was held for the reconstruction of Aaltenseweg Europastraat Dinxperlo. At 7 p.m., the large hall at Noaberz was well filled with nearly a hundred concerned local residents. Alderman Groters welcomed those present via a video and expressed his desire to work together to create a better living environment. Wim Voogt then gave a presentation in which he introduced the construction team to the audience and discussed the task, the approach, and the principles for the reconstruction of both roads.

The two main starting points for the reconstruction are the upgrading of the road from 50 km/h to 30 km/h and necessary adjustments to the sewer system, such as the disconnection of rainwater. A short online survey (the Mentimeter) allowed attendees to share their main concerns about the project. Afterwards, there was three-quarters of an hour of opportunity to discuss the project area with one of the members of the construction team. Specific points of interest could be placed on the plan map via post-its. The last half hour of the evening was used to collect together in plenary session the most important questions and points of interest of the evening. By 9 p.m. Wim Voogt thanked all attendees for their input. The evening ended with a warm round of applause.

The main questions and concerns we were given this evening are listed below

Villagewide

  • Does the municipality of Aalten have an overall vision for traffic circulation in the village? Where is freight traffic permitted/not permitted? How can we ensure safe through routes for cyclists in the village? Is there a traffic circulation plan for Dinxperlo?
  • With the redevelopment of Allee, Heelweg, Europastraat Aaltenseweg , most of the streets Aaltenseweg soon Aaltenseweg redesigned. When will the remaining streets in the village be redesigned?

Aaltenseweg

  • Residents experience nuisance as a result of vibrations and noise in the current situation. Can this be taken into account in the design of the new situation? What has the municipality done to date to limit vibrations and noise nuisance? Residents see possible solutions in a ban on trucks between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. and/or diverting freight traffic via other roads, for example via Germany. Residents are curious to know what the municipality of Aalten thinks about this.
  • The sidewalks are not walkable now because of overhanging hedges on private land. Will the municipality enforce this?
  • Does 30 km/h on Aaltensweg mean that all streets from the right have right of way? Or can Aaltenseweg retain right of way?
  • Can temporary traffic calming measures be put in place in the short term so that traffic can slow down now?

Europastraat

  • What will be the future use of the Schaersvoorde school, and what impact will this have on the redevelopment of Europastraat? School zone.
  • Concerns about traffic safety around the school, especially at pick-up/drop-off; plus parking nuisance for adjacent residents.
  • Desire to Berkendijk in the project and desire to achieve a safe overall concept for the school environment. This desire may result in the available implementation budget being insufficient.

At the second public participation evening scheduled for Sept. 28, 2023, the construction team will return to the above concerns.