How can the HvA Amstelcampus be made safer?

The HvA’s Amstelcampus is made up of the Kohnstammhuis, Theo Thijssenhuis, Benno Premselahuis, Koetsier-Montaignehuis, Muller Lulofshuis, Wibauthuis and Studio HvA. Four of the HvA’s seven faculties are housed there, as are 28.000 of its students. The busy Wibautstraat runs straight through it all.

The Wibautstraat connects Amsterdam Amstel Station and the A10 highway to Amsterdam. Recently, it has also been the site of two traffic accidents: a motorcycle collided with a HvA student in September, and a cyclist was hit by a car in October. The Council was critical: president Bram Buskoop wrote an open letter to the municipality of Amsterdam to make the case for a safer Wibautstraat.

Bridge or tunnel

Council member Mark van der Horst, also facility manager of the Amstelcampus, suggests the HvA could build a bridge or tunnel to cross the Wibautstraat safely. Anne van den Eijnden, location manager of the Amstelcampus, promises she will restart talks with the municipality council. ‘The municipality is constantly researching traffic safety,’ she says. ‘In 2015 it was concluded that the Wibautstraat was safe when everyone follows the rules.’

The UvA and HvA’s Board of Directors released a comment saying they are ‘seriously worried’ about the situation. ‘Everyone was very shocked by these accidents, especially because one happened at a zebra crossing when a car ran a red light.’ The Board also says that a bridge or tunnel is not a possibility due to ‘various reasons’.