Avantis-Trilandis cross-border mobility approach launched

Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar organized a meeting on accessibility. They did this together with the municipality of Heerlen, Stadt Aachen, the Parkstad Limburg urban region, Medlands Parkstad, and Clever Mobil. The program was in Dutch and German.

Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar presented research results on:

• How Avantis and Trilandis employees now travel to work
• What problems they have with their commute
• What arrangements and provisions employers already have in place
• What employees need to travel more by bicycle or public transport

There was an open discussion between companies and governments. Together, they discussed:

• How accessibility can be improved
• What mobility initiatives are possible

The approach was: listening, answering questions, and exploring possibilities together. This will make the business parks more accessible.

Mobility as a shared responsibility

The Avantis and Trilandis business parks are easily accessible by car. However, there are more and more cars on the roads. This causes traffic jams and delays. Employees arrive late for work. And companies are unable to deliver or collect their goods on time. The business parks are still growing. More companies are moving in. Without additional measures, there will be even more cars on the road.

Alderman Marco Peters Mobility, Municipality of Heerlen) explains: “Avantis-Trilandis is essential when it comes to employment in our region. In order to enable this area to continue to grow and remain accessible in the coming years, it is important that Dutch and German companies and governments really put their shoulders to the wheel. Together, we are working towards an approach that consists of infrastructural measures and influencing travel behavior. When it comes to the latter, our ambition is to reduce rush hour car traffic by 25 percent in the coming years. During the discussions at our meeting, it became clear that solutions lie in cooperation and in offering and encouraging things such as carpooling, shuttle services, and cycling. But also in improving public transport. We will tackle this challenge together."

We will work in two ways:

• We improve roads and infrastructure
• We ensure that people travel differently

We want to reduce the number of cars during rush hour by 25 percent in the coming years. How can we achieve this?

• Encouraging carpooling
• Offer shuttle services
• More people on bicycles
• Better public transportation

Valuable exchange

Manuel Dijkstra works for Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar. He believes it is important for companies to discuss transport issues together. Companies from other countries are also participating. "Today, interesting suggestions were put forward for jointly encouraging the use of bicycles and public transport and avoiding rush hour. Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar will be able to implement these suggestions for the region in the coming period," says Dijkstra.

Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar works for the government. They help business parks to collaborate on improving transport. The goal is more sustainable travel.

Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar assists the following business parks:

• Avantis-Trilandis
• Aviation Valley
• Maastricht South Randwyck
• Sittard Office Park

Start of a joint journey

In January, a collaboration between various parties began. During this meeting, it became clear that the Avantis-Trilandis area can grow with smart and sustainable transport solutions. This is important for Heerlen, Parkstad, and the Euregio. It also ensures better accessibility, quality of life, and cross-border cooperation.

We are further developing the proposed plans. The goal is to make Avantis-Trilandis more accessible, attractive, and sustainable.

The meeting showed that collaboration works. By meeting each other and thinking together, concrete solutions emerge. Meeting each other really does add value.

Both the municipality of Heerlen and the city of Aachen are optimistic. We expect significant improvements to be completed within approximately two years:

• Better bike paths
• Better pedestrian paths
• Better accessibility with sustainable transport

After that, additional measures will be needed to encourage people to use this mode of transport.

Stay informed

Would you like to know what's next for Avantis-Trilandis? Check back regularly at:

• The website of South Limburg Accessible
• The websites of the municipalities

For businesses

Are you a company and would you like to contribute to improving accessibility? Then register via the Zuid-Limburg Bereikbaar website.