Rijruimte

Rijruimte is a Dutch term used in traffic engineering and urban planning to denote the part of the public road space that is available for vehicle movement. In practice, it refers to the cross-section of the road between its outer edges, excluding areas primarily for pedestrians or non-vehicular traffic. The rijruimte includes driving lanes and, where they are part of the traffic area, shoulders and deceleration or acceleration lanes. It does not include sidewalks, separated cycle paths, or other spaces not allocated for through traffic.

The concept is used to assess and design the capacity and safety of a road. The size and composition of rijruimte are influenced by the road category, design speed, traffic volume, and the surrounding urban or rural context. A wider rijruimte generally allows higher speeds and greater maneuvering space, while a narrower rijruimte can slow traffic and increase the potential for conflicts between road users. Changes to rijruimte, such as widening or narrowing lanes, adding or removing shoulders, or implementing road diets, have direct implications for capacity, safety, and land use.

Rijruimte is related to, but distinct from, rijstrook (a single traffic lane) and rijbaan (the overall carriageway). Understanding rijruimte helps planners balance mobility with safety for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, within the available road footprint.