Rotterdam is growing and developing at a rapid pace. This is great, but it also presents new challenges for the city. More and more people live and work in our city, and there are also increasing numbers of visitors. The municipality wants Rotterdam to remain accessible, safe, and livable.

Future-proof Rotterdam

The space in the city is limited and must be well distributed. This means we must carefully consider how we allocate the available space: for traffic, but also for living, working, green spaces, and recreation. The VCP plays an important role in this.

Alderman Pascal Lansink-Bastemeijer (Enforcement, Public Space, and Mobility): With this Traffic Circulation Plan, we are choosing a future-proof city. A city where people can live, work, and stay comfortably. Where everyone can move around quickly and safely – whether you walk, cycle, use public transport, or drive a car.

Less car traffic through a neighborhood

Research shows that nearly a quarter of the traffic in and around the center is through traffic. In other words: traffic without a destination in the city. This causes nuisance in residential streets and in areas that are not designed for it.

The traffic circulation plan will redirect this traffic via main roads and the Ring, so that residential neighborhoods become quieter and safer. This should create space for slow traffic and more greenery. Therefore, some routes for car traffic in the center and surrounding residential neighborhoods will be adjusted. With less through car traffic in the neighborhoods, and more via the main routes around a neighborhood.

What is happening?

The traffic circulation plan contains 4 types of measures to adjust traffic circulation. These measures from the traffic circulation plan may affect your journey.

• Implementing one-way traffic.
• Adjusting an intersection.
• Applying a traffic filter.
• Adjusting road design.

However, adjusting such a route does not happen just like that. For example, if a street becomes one-way, it also means that traffic in another neighborhood may have to drive differently. The entire package of measures (25 in total) ensures that traffic continues to flow well.

Which neighborhoods are involved?

The plan is being made for the neighborhoods of Centrum, Oude Noorden, Blijdorp, Provenierswijk, Agniesebuurt, Liskwartier, Bergpolder, Middelland, Oude Westen, Nieuwe Westen, and parts of Crooswijk and Kralingen. These are old neighborhoods (from before World War II), with many narrow streets. They were not designed for many different types of traffic. Therefore, something needs to change. By better distributing traffic, neighborhoods become safer and remain accessible.

View a map of where these measures will take place on the page Traffic Circulation Plan. Link opens an external page.

Participation and research

The plan has been developed after extensive research. Since the presentation of the concept VCP in May 2024, discussions have been held with residents, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. Valuable ideas have been gathered through meetings, an online questionnaire, and an exhibition in the Timmerhuis. Additionally, the effects on traffic flow, air quality, noise, and the economy have been investigated.

What does it mean for you?

The measures from the traffic circulation plan may affect your journey. The entire plan can be read at rotterdam.nl/verkeerscirculatieplan. Link opens an external page and MijnRotterdam. Link opens an external page. It is a plan for the coming years; until 2030 and beyond. After the summer, the traffic circulation plan will be discussed in a council meeting.

After the summer, the municipality will organize open evenings in the VCP areas (neighborhoods Centrum, North, East, and West), where you can ask your questions about the VCP.