After my last lifestream to the "knip" in Weesperstraat, several right-wing trolls were saying I was a lying WEF shill for "avoiding" the Kattenburgerstraat; the street with such crippling traffic due to the knip that the VVD are demanding an immediate stop to the 6-week project.
So this morning at rush hour I visited the Kattenburgerstraat and as it turns out, the right-wing press are lying.
Shocking, I know.
Here's my livestream of my visit to Kattenburgerstraat:
@notjustbikes I live in a street near the Weesperstraat. We are definitely getting more traffic on our little sidestreet as cars look for alternate routes. But the "knip" isn't the problem. Cars are the problem. I'd like to see even more streets closed to traffic.
@vacapinta@notjustbikes I'm on the other side of Amsterdam, and would be overjoyed if they would close my street to cars. Or at the very least put some noise cameras in to do something about the noisy motorbikes.
@notjustbikes as a general rule: when right trolls target you, you've definitely done something right.
(Obviously you know that already).
Hang in there.
@hayify it was a problem for the first few days of the knip.
I am skeptical that it is still a problem.
Regardless, the knip is happening for 6 weeks. I have seen nothing to suggest that the traffic on the Kattenburgerstraat is at a "project-cancelling" level.
I believe that the right wing media and politicians are inflating this "problem" to push their own agenda.
The Kattenburgerstraat has never been a low-traffic street, which is why it was redesigned a few years ago already.
@notjustbikes i’m sure this will be very welcome for right wing politicians but the problem is very real. I’ve been living near the street for almost ten years and i’ve never seen this crazy amount of traffic, it truly effects many of the (mostly low-income) people living there. The history of how the city has steadily been moving problems to this part of town (including traffic from the “knip”) is long and too complicated for a single toot, but it’s definitely not a case of inflating a problem.
@notjustbikes … ok, should we start sending them pictures of real traffic from Canada? I mean there’s more traffic in front of the local school here at 8:30!
@notjustbikes hah! I guess it’s all about what you know.
When I’m dumb enough to drive to work, I leave at 6:20 and I start at 7:00. Then I leave at 16:00 to be home at 16:45. If I’m late, it easily ballons to 1:00 to 1:15. This is hilarious since it takes me 45 minutes by bike.
And I know Calgary is nothing compared to where I’m from, Montréal.
@notjustbikes@Vosskah
When I grew up it was a good thirty minute drive to downtown (Charleston, SC). Rush hour would see that balloon to over an hour on a daily basis. If traffic was bad, it would be two hours.
It got better after they finished the highway expansion on I-526. For a couple of years, anyway. From what family members still in the area say, traffic is just as bad as it used to be.
Fortunately, they seem to have learned their lesson this time.
@notjustbikes They really don't know how good they have it, do they? We all take things for granted, but it takes genuine appreciation and a level of being humble in order to admit ones own privilege.
@notjustbikes Kattenburgerstraat has never been a quiet street. It probably has been busier, especially the first few days. But the delta is probably way lower than the loudness of the protests would suggest. It probably just mostly political tribalism, they are (P/F)V(V)(D) (the vroom vroom parties) shills.
@notjustbikes I live at the end of Kattenburgerstraat and cycle through it every day. Last week it was indeed way more crowded than usual, with traffic stuck already at the Maritime museum. This week it already seems to be back to normal, although it's too early to tell.
@erwinrossen there was definitely an increase in traffic on Kattenburgerstraat during the first two weeks. The real question is, will it still be there at the end of six weeks?
Because when I went there this morning there were traffic jams, but there were also times when there was zero traffic.
In any case, the traffic on the Kattenburgerstraat is absolutely no reason to stop the knip project early, as the VVD are calling for.
@notjustbikes as someone living in that block, I must say I'll very glad if this is the situation right now.
I haven't gotten out much lately to check it out, as I'm busy with a newborn child.
What I can say is that the street has been extremely busy the past weeks, so much so that midwives, Kraamzorg, all had problems reaching us. The midwives even gave us specific instructions to call in very early in labor to make sure we'd have enough time.
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