Politics
Jordaan City Council Approves National Sustainable Transport Directive Implementation, Aligning Spending with Utrecht and Eindhoven Levels
The July 7 vote sets Jordaan's transport budget share for cycling at 9.2 percent, a level already reached in Utrecht and projected to affect street access and parking for residents along the Prinsengracht and Egelantiersgracht.
How we reported this
The Jordaan city council passed the local implementation plan for the national sustainable transport directive on July 7 by a 28 to 11 margin. The measure requires municipalities to commit at least 8 percent of annual transport spending to cycling infrastructure and sets deadlines for physical changes to roads and parking zones within the district.
National rules adopted in the first quarter of 2026 require all cities above 50,000 residents to submit compliance plans before December 31. Jordaan officials cited the need to meet those deadlines during the meeting, where staff presented draft maps showing new protected lanes and reduced on-street car spaces.
Comparison to Other Municipalities
Jordaan's adopted share of 9.2 percent of transport funds exceeds the 7.5 percent figure reported by Eindhoven in its 2026 budget papers but remains below the 11 percent target listed in Amsterdam's citywide plan. The allocation also matches the per-resident cycling investment recorded in Utrecht's most recent infrastructure report.
Residents in the Jordaan district will face new bike lane construction on two central canals and the loss of 180 car parking spots near the weekly market by late 2027. Delivery firms operating electric cargo bikes will receive an annual subsidy of €180 per vehicle, while the 12 primary schools in the area are scheduled to gain direct access to widened cycle paths.
Council budget documents list an extra €4.8 million for the 2027 fiscal year, drawn from the national infrastructure fund created under the 2025 Climate Accord. This amount covers design work, signage and initial resurfacing along 3.4 kilometres of streets.
Public information sessions are listed for September, with tender documents for construction expected to be released in March 2027. The council's published timeline projects the first completed sections to open by the end of 2028.