The Oude Trambaan cycle path, part of the Via 44 route between The Hague and Leiden, is due to close for a year from January while WarmtelinQ and contractor HAK build a heating network.
The planned diversion sends cyclists through Leiden’s Stevenshof and the Haagse Schouw, including a tunnel under the A44.
WarmtelinQ says it studied several scenarios and found the safety risks too great.
The Cyclists’ Union says the chosen diversion is not safe either, pointing to poor lighting and the risk of ice in the winter months.
Alternative routes raise safety concerns
The union says an estimated 200 pupils and staff at Adelbert College use the route daily, and that many pupils feel uneasy at the wildlife crossing.
It suggested closing the Ommedijkseweg to traffic while keeping the Valkenburgse Meer reachable, or splitting the road between cars and bicycles with traffic lights and marshals during construction deliveries.
WarmtelinQ says both options would leave cyclists more vulnerable given the volume of construction traffic, and Wassenaar says partial opening would not work for buses or emergency services.
WarmtelinQ promises extra lighting, traffic marshals and gritting along the route, which is still being discussed with Leiden, Wassenaar and Katwijk.
