What is a traffic structure?
The traffic structure of an area is the coherence of the road network and of how the different types of road users share the space available for traffic. At neighbourhood level it is also called the street plan; on a larger scale, the traffic infrastructure. In Dutch it is called a verkeersstructuur. It is a concept from urban planning and traffic engineering.
Flow function and access function
The core of a good traffic structure is separating two functions:
- Flow function: handling through traffic quickly and safely.
- Access function: staying, parking, playing and reaching homes or businesses.
In the Netherlands, this is worked out according to the principles of Sustainable Safety (Duurzaam Veilig), with three road categories: through roads (flow function only), distributor roads (traffic to and from neighbourhoods) and access roads (residential areas, such as residential streets and 30 km/h zones).
| Through roads | Flow function only |
|---|---|
| Distributor roads | Traffic to and from neighbourhoods |
| Access roads | Residential areas, such as residential streets and 30 km/h zones |
Ways to organise types of traffic
- Mixing: cars, cyclists and pedestrians use the same street. Typical of old town centres and residential streets.
- Separation: separate cycle paths, footpaths and carriageways, or even separate networks for bicycles and cars, as in many post-war neighbourhoods.
- Integration per area: in a woonerf (home zone), all types of traffic share the space and pedestrians have a strong position.
Application
The traffic structure largely determines how a neighbourhood works: where rat-running can occur, how children cycle to school and where people park. For a new development or redesign, a Dutch municipality sets out the structure in the urban design plan; the environmental plan (omgevingsplan) contains the rules for the designated use of the land.
What to look out for as a resident or builder
- Access to your plot: does your plot border an access road or a busier distributor road? That determines noise exposure and whether you can have your own driveway.
- Public consultation: in the Netherlands, when a street is redesigned or a new traffic plan is drawn up, you can respond to the design through the municipality.
- Parking: a Dutch municipality can apply parking standards in the environmental plan or its policy that affect your building plan.
Related terms
- Circulation space
- Circulation route
- Street profile
- Street furniture
- Building plot
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