Nearly 10,000 beachgoers have used a new free shuttle bus service running from Vijfhuizen and Haarlem to the North Sea coast this summer.
The trial launched on June 20 to help reduce traffic congestion and parking struggles on busy summer days around Bloemendaal and Zandvoort.
A regional effort to ease congestion
The initiative is a joint project organized by the province of Noord-Holland alongside several coastal and neighboring municipalities.
Drivers can leave their vehicles at a dedicated park-and-ride lot at EXPO Greater Amsterdam before boarding the shuttle directly to the coast.
Passenger numbers heavily depend on the daily weather forecast.
On overcast weekend days, a few hundred people take the bus, while sunny days attract over 1,000 passengers daily.
Reliable travel times along dedicated lanes
To keep the service running smoothly, the shuttle relies heavily on dedicated bus lanes, including a temporary bus lane along the main coastal access road.
Traffic monitoring shows that the buses have managed to avoid typical beach traffic jams so far this season.
Initial feedback from passengers highlights the convenience of avoiding coastal parking searches, with some riders asking for weekday service.
The temporary road layout on the Zeeweg is also being studied to help local authorities design safer traffic patterns in the future.
Schedule and remaining operating dates
The free shuttle runs on Saturdays and Sundays between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. until August 30.
Service runs up to four times per hour during peak travel windows, though it will pause during the Formula 1 weekend in late August.
Once the pilot ends, local authorities will survey passengers, residents, and business owners to evaluate whether the shuttle service should return in future years.
