Citizens' Assembly Traffic

Would you like to contribute to traffic safety, livability, accessibility, and traffic flow in Wassenaar by participating in the Citizens' Assembly Traffic (in Dutch; “Burgerberaad Verkeer”)? Your ideas and opinions are important to the municipality of Wassenaar.

In the new Road Categorization Plan for Wassenaar, the function of each road and the appropriate design have been determined based on the most current insights. This Road Categorization Plan, for example, affects safety, livability, accessibility, and traffic flow. We would like to hear what you consider important regarding these topics and what your advice to the municipality is. What do you think is important for roads around schools, sports clubs, and healthcare facilities in Wassenaar? And what is your opinion on traffic flow in our municipality, including public transport and the accessibility of emergency services? Your ideas and opinions are important to us! Therefore, the municipality of Wassenaar invites you to participate in the Traffic Citizens' Assembly.

What is a Citizens' Assembly?

For this citizens' assembly, we are asking if you would like to sign up via the questionnaire. During the assembly, 100 residents of Wassenaar will meet four times to discuss with each other and with experts. As compensation for your participation, you will receive a total volunteer allowance of €100. Ultimately, the citizens' assembly will provide a recommendation to the municipal council. The municipality will adopt the results of the questionnaire and the recommendation from the assembly, unless there are significant reasons not to do so. 

Why did I Receive an Invitation?

Like you, 9,999 other residents have received an invitation to the citizens' assembly. From the registrations, 100 people will be randomly selected to participate in the assembly. We believe it is important that as many different residents of Wassenaar as possible contribute their thoughts. If you did not receive a letter, you are still welcome to participate.

What Do I Receive as a Member of the Citizens' Assembly?

  • A total compensation of €100 if you attend at least three of the four meetings.
  • You will receive food and drinks during the meetings.
  • You will have the opportunity to discuss and influence the topic.
  • You will learn from the experience and meet other residents of Wassenaar.

Dates of the Citizens' Assembly Meetings 

The citizens' assembly will meet at a conveniently accessible location in Wassenaar on: 

  • Wednesday, November 13, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM
  • Friday, December 13, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
  • Friday, January 17, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
  • Friday, February 7, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

More Information?

Please note: after your registration, it is not certain that you will be invited to the citizens' assembly. This letter is sent to 10,000 residents. A diverse group of 100 people will be randomly selected from all registrations.

If you have any other questions or need assistance with the questionnaire, please review the frequently asked questions below or email or call Moventem: burgerberaadwassenaar@moventem.nl or 0575 84 3738.

How does a citizens' assembly work exactly?

The participants in a citizens' assembly are not selected, but selected through a lottery, meaning it is completely random. Anyone from Wassenaar aged 16 or older could be selected. A sample of residents received a letter asking if they wanted to participate. Additionally, residents could also sign up voluntarily. From all the applicants, 100 people were then selected by lottery, representing a cross-section of the Wassenaar population. Selection criteria used to ensure a good reflection of the population included age, gender, and postal code. 

I am a not a Dutch native, can I participate in the citizen’s assembly?

Yes you can. We will provide English-speaking translators during the meetings. However, most written information is provided in Dutch. We will provide tools to understand this information better. A basic understanding of (written) Dutch is recommended, but not necessary. 

How were the 10,000 Wassenaar residents selected who received a personal invitation letter?

The citizens' assembly aims to reflect the Wassenaar population as accurately as possible, in terms of age, gender, neighborhood, and educational level. A random selection of 10,000 residents was made, based on data from September 18, 2023. We ensured the right proportions in terms of age, gender, and neighborhood.

Who is in charge of the citizen’s assembly?

The independent bureau Moventem is organizing the citizens' assembly. They have experience with more than fifteen citizens' assemblies on various topics across the country, making them one of the leading organizations in the Netherlands in this field. See also www.moventem.nl.

Is the citizens' assembly representative?

To ensure that different groups of residents were involved in the citizens' assembly in a balanced way, a so-called weighted lottery was applied. This allowed the municipality to ensure that groups that typically do not easily participate in such processes were still sufficiently represented. This includes involving residents with a migration background and young people. When selecting the group, special attention was given to the topic of Traffic and what is important in relation to it, such as the age and neighborhood where people live.

The term "representative" is sometimes used, but this is not entirely accurate. In research, "representative" has a different meaning than just having a good reflection of the population involved. To avoid confusion, we prefer not to use this term.
 

What do we do with the outcomes of the citizens' assembly?

The proposals from the citizens' assembly are presented to the municipal executive (college). The executive does not make decisions on these proposals but advises the council on their feasibility, practicality, and alignment with municipal plans. Ultimately, the council decides on the proposals from the citizens' assembly. If the decision is made not to fully or partially adopt a proposal, the citizens' assembly expects that these decisions will be accompanied by a detailed explanation.

What is the mandate of the assembly?

These recommendations are adopted and, in principle, translated into policy. This means that the municipality accepts the advice from the citizens' assembly unless there are important reasons not to do so. 

What will the citizen’s assembly cost?

In the council meeting on June 4, 2024, the council passed motion 302 from Mr. Krabbendam, this time with a different timeline and a higher budget, aimed at implementing the previously adopted motion from December 19, 2023. The council has currently allocated a budget of €172,790 for organizing the citizens' assembly.

Do the participants receive compensation?

Yes, participants receive a compensation of €100 for attending at least three of the four meetings of the citizens' assembly.

Do participants need to attend all meetings?

Preferably. A citizen’s assembly produces the best results when the same participants meet. It takes time to understand some topics, get to know each other and formulate recommendations. In case of unexpected events, it is possible to attend 3 of the 4 meetings. 

According to Bureau Burgerberaad, a good citizens' assembly meets ten conditions. How does this apply to the Citizens' Assembly Traffic?

Bureau Burgerberaad refers to ten golden rules. The Citizens' Assembly Traffic meets these conditions. The questions posed are open and clear, and they do not lead participants toward a specific answer. As mentioned earlier, the political follow-up is also clearly defined in advance. We work with a weighted lottery, which allows the assembly to be a good reflection of Wassenaar society. By providing compensation, we make participation accessible to everyone. Experts are engaged to provide the assembly with neutral and accurate information, and the broader public is also actively involved through regular updates.

I filled out a questionnaire; what happens to the results?

The citizens' assembly receives the outcomes of the questionnaires. These results may contribute to the development of the final advisory report that will be presented to the municipal council.

How will you handle my personal data?

For the organization of the meetings, Moventem requires certain information. They will request this upon registration and will also ask for approval to use this data. The personal data will only be used for this citizens' assembly.

How can I follow the developments of the citizens' assembly?

We regularly share updates about the citizens' assembly in the newspaper, on social media, and in our digital newsletter.

What does the planning look like for the citizens' assembly?

We will meet with all participants four times. The meetings are scheduled for: Wednesday evening, November 13; Friday (all day), December 17; Friday (all day), January 17; and Friday (all day), February 7. During these meetings, participants will receive a lot of information and collaboratively write the recommendations.