Amsterdam employs street marking design to support its new speed 30 limit

Amsterdam introduced a 30 km/h speed limit to about 80 % of its roads in December 2023, with motorists adapting to the new speed limit at a slow pace. This is why the city has started with two ideas to help car drivers adapt: the removal of existing central and side road markings, and introducing a new design for the central marking on the pavement in some areas. Both approaches focus on attracting drivers' attention.

The idea of removing all road line markings—they are simply painted over in black—is intended to reduce the clear demarcation of space dedicated to motorists. Instead, the blank surface is meant to create a sense that the space is shared with other road users, including oncoming traffic. The expected effect is that drivers will slow down and pay more attention to other road users.

The new design for the central road marking is novel: instead of a continuous or interrupted line, two strips forming a line out of blocks that form the number '30', the actual speed limit, are painted in the middle of the road. The number '30' can only be clearly seen from the drivers' point of view. The new middle road separator is also wider than the previous line, which makes the road appear narrower. This unexpected design—its width and its message—is expected to encourage drivers to slow down and pay more attention.

Work to implement these changes is carried out during the night where possible, minimising major traffic interruptions.

Author: Claus Koellinger

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.