Development Express cycle route Eindhoven - Gemert

Eindhoven is a key city in the southern province of the Netherlands, and a centre for technology, innovation and higher education. As the city continues to grow, it offers employment opportunities and therefore attracts rising numbers of commuters from nearby towns including Gemert. That puts pressure on the regional road network. To reduce the congestion on the roads and to encourage sustainable mobility, the municipalities between Eindhoven and Gemert set out to develop a fast cycle route.

Challenge – Creating a safe route

The envisaged route crosses a variety of roads in urban and rural areas. A key challenge was ensuring traffic safety, and designing a safe and comfortable cycling route that could compete with car travel. We were asked to align technical feasibility, costs and spatial integration. That involved balancing differing interests such as traffic requirements and safety, cost, and administrative support from the authorities.

Solutions – Safety first

TAUW supported the province throughout the project with its collaborative approach. Our consultants worked closely with the province and municipalities to identify ambitions and potential bottlenecks. TAUW was closely involved with the social participation process to create a route that actively encourages people to choose cycling as their preferred mode of travel.

Thanks to our experience in infrastructure and engineering we were able to adapt quickly and develop innovative solutions. The route was designed to address and resolve social and traffic safety concerns.  The design includes broad and well-lighted cycle lanes as well as cycle bridges and tunnels, ensuring the new route is comfortable, safe and improves traffic flow. We maximised the use of sustainable materials and the application of data to monitor cycling behaviour.

Partnership – Cooperation is key

Throughout this project, TAUW played a key role in designing and coordinating the decision-making process with the various stakeholders. We advised on the range of considerations and contributed to developing a coherent package of supported measures tailored to the local situation.

“I value TAUW’s patience and expertise. Projects like this are often more complex and time-consuming than anticipated. TAUW demonstrated real patience, while at key moments ensuring we continued to move forward when challenges arose. This was thanks to the consistent expertise brought by Geert and his team, both in guiding the process and in delivering strong, substantive content.”- Mathijs Ransijn, Project Lead, Province of North Brabant 

Cooperation is essential to achieving success. This ambitious project is a strong example of that. The result is a signed agreement with all stakeholders eager to move forward to the next phase of the project.

Impact – Health benefits

This express cycle route provides residents with a safe and fast alternative to car travel. This project helps reduce traffic congestion, lower emissions and create a healthier living environment. Additionally, the cycle route stimulates physical activity which offers clear health benefits for people in the region.

We aim to quantify the positive impact of our projects through the project’s handprint. Below, we demonstrate how this project makes sustainability tangible and feasible by using a set of predefined TAUW ESG indicators.

TAUW made a plan and facilitated towards a signed administrative agreement to invest in safe, innovative and sustainable regional mobility via the Express Cycling route. 

ESG	TAUW’s ESG Indicator	Impact
Social	Human wellbeing	Safe, innovative & sustainable mobility design for 328.000 resident
Governance	Participation & Engagement – Empowering stakeholders  ESG management - Process & Governance	Facilitated 5 governmental bodies & 4 citizen participation sessions  Successful signed administrative agreement between 5 governmental bodies on plan and design and 35M EUR budget