The municipality of Amsterdam has commissioned TNO Inro to benchmark the traffic problems related to commuting in Amsterdam in comparison to a number of other European cities. This report is the result of a preliminary study to outline the data already available and to set up the first steps towards a more extensive future benchmark study. Four data sources have been used: SESAME data, OECD/EMCT data, and TNO data from the `Eurinfra' project and from the `Euronet' project. The first analysis learned that the commuter traffic towards Amsterdam is not extreme compared to other European cities. However, it became clear that the region of Amsterdam has a relative dynamic central city. It also became clear that in the morning there are not only commuters going towards Amsterdam but there is also a growing group of commuters going out the central city. This is caused by the spatial development in the North wing of the Randstad. Especially on this level the spatial coherence is growing. (Comparative) research and policy development needs to take this geographic level into account. One has to address gridlike transport patterns in which central cities and suburbs will both have incoming and outgoing commuters. These changes imply an adjustment of the infrastructure system. The problem needs to be addressed more fundamentally than limiting the policy strategy to only utilise the existing infrastructure. Comparisons with problem perceptions and policy strategies in other European urban areas can provide Amsterdam with valuable lessons.
Abstract