106-559: A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses , generally to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion . The related term busway describes a roadway completely dedicated for use by buses, whilst bus gate describes a short bus lane often used as a short cut for public transport. Bus lanes are a key component of a high-quality bus rapid transit (BRT) network, improving bus travel speeds and reliability by reducing delay caused by other traffic. A dedicated bus lane may occupy only part of
212-631: A median . Some roads and bridges that carry very low volumes of traffic are less than 4.6 metres (15 ft) wide, and are only a single lane wide. Vehicles travelling in opposite directions must slow or stop to pass each other. In rural areas, these are often called country lanes . In urban areas, alleys are often only one lane wide. Urban and suburban one lane roads are often designated for one-way traffic . For much of human history, roads did not need lane markings because most people walked or rode horses at relatively slow speeds. However, when automobiles, trucks, and buses came into widespread use during
318-489: A raid on the homes and offices of then-aldermen Richard de Mos and Rachid Guernaoui, as part of an investigation of alleged administrative corruption, bribery and violation of confidentiality. The offices of several municipal civil servants and the homes of three entrepreneurs were also searched for the investigation. The aldermen were suspected of receiving bribes in exchange for granting permits. In April 2023, De Mos and Guernaoui were acquitted of all charges. The Hague
424-653: A stadtholder to rule in their stead with the States of Holland and West Friesland as an advisory council. Although their seat was in The Hague, the city became subordinate to more important centres of government such as Brussels and Mechelen , from where the sovereigns ruled over the increasingly centralised Burgundian Netherlands . At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War , the absence of city walls proved disastrous, as it allowed Spanish troops to easily occupy
530-502: A 12 ft (3.7 m) standard lane width, while narrower lanes are used on lower classification roads. In Europe, laws and road widths vary by country; the minimum widths of lanes are generally between 2.5 to 3.25 m (8.2 to 10.7 ft). The federal Bundesstraße interurban network in Germany defines a minimum of 3.5 m (140 in) for each lane for the smallest two lane roads, with an additional 0.25 m (9.8 in) on
636-559: A buffer against France. As a compromise, Brussels and Amsterdam alternated as capital every two years, with the government remaining in The Hague. After the separation of Belgium in 1830, Amsterdam remained the capital of the Netherlands, while the government was situated in The Hague. When the government started to play a more prominent role in Dutch society after 1850, The Hague quickly expanded. Many streets were specifically built for
742-623: A bus lane in the center of Washington Street, a five lane one-way street downtown. The first bus lanes in Europe were established in 1963 in the German city of Hamburg , when the tram system was closed and the former dedicated tram tracks were converted for bus travel. Other large German cities soon followed, and the implementation of bus lanes was officially sanctioned in the German highway code in 1970. Many experts from other countries ( Japan among
848-527: A charter dating from 1242. It became the primary residence of the Counts of Holland in 1358 and thus became the seat of many government institutions. This status allowed the village to grow; by the Late Middle Ages, it had grown to the size of a city, although it did not receive city rights . In its early years, the village was in the ambacht , or rural district, of Monster , which was governed by
954-409: A higher-speed road in order to provide safe and frequent access to local homes and businesses. In some areas, the lane adjacent to the curb is reserved for non-moving vehicles. A reversible lane ( contraflow lane ) is a lane where the direction of traffic can be changed to match the peak flow. They are usually used where there are periods of high traffic, especially rush hour where the traffic
1060-533: A letter to Den Haag will be delivered just as well. The railway stations use the name Den Haag , as do signposts. The area was part of the Roman province of Germania Inferior and was close to the border of the empire, the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes . In 1997, four Roman milestones were discovered at Wateringse Veld. The originals are in the " Museon " museum. The milestones indicate
1166-557: A new theatre, Amare , which would house both institutes as well as the Royal Conservatory . Despite efforts of the municipality, public support for the proposed theatre remains low. At the heart of the city centre across the palace gardens is the home of Summerschool Den Haag , an international school for dance with guest teachers such as Valentina Scaglia , Igone de Jongh , and Maia Makhateli . The Koninklijke Schouwburg , home to Het Nationale Theater , can also be found in
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#17327875701861272-499: A number of urban arterials with bus and transit lanes, noncompliance rates were approaching 90%. Following enhanced enforcement of the lanes, noncompliance rates dropped and overall efficiency of the bus and transit lanes improved with an up to 12% increase in total passenger throughput in the lane. Average bus journey times dropped, in some cases, by up to 19%. Some cities, including San Francisco and New York, employ automated camera enforcement, using either stationary cameras adjacent to
1378-533: A population of 6,659,300. The Hague lies at the southwestern corner of the second-largest conurbation in the European Union . The Hague is divided into eight official districts which are, in turn, divided into neighbourhoods. Some of the most prosperous and some of the poorest neighbourhoods of the Netherlands can be found in The Hague. The wealthier areas such as Statenkwartier , Belgisch Park , Marlot , Benoordenhout and Archipelbuurt are generally in
1484-520: A population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea , The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government , and while the official capital of the Netherlands is Amsterdam , The Hague has been described as the country's de facto capital since the time of the Dutch Republic . The Hague
1590-411: A roadway which also has lanes serving general automotive traffic; in contrast to a transit mall which is a pedestrianized roadway also served by transit. The first bus lane is often erroneously attributed to Chicago , where in 1939 Sheridan Road was installed with reversible lanes north of Foster Avenue. The setup consisted of three-lanes towards the peak direction (south in the morning; north in
1696-612: A second or third lower width lane in the same direction for cars 1.75 m (69 in) – those that have been built exclude trucks from these narrower lanes; however lower width lanes are not a recommended design principle for new roads, as it could be dangerous if traffic becomes heavier in future. In the United States, the Interstate Highway standards for the Interstate Highway System use
1802-413: A steep grade without slowing other traffic. They are typically used by large trucks or semi-trailer trucks , which go uphill more slowly than they travel on level ground. They are often used on major routes such as motorways and interstate highways . Some high-volume limited-access highways use a local–express lane system. This physically separates express lanes for long-distance travel (closer to
1908-644: A year, it is the most popular beach town in the Benelux area. Kijkduin , in the southwest, is The Hague's other beach resort. It is significantly smaller and attracts mainly local residents. The former Dutch colony of the East Indies , now Indonesia , has left its mark on The Hague. Since the 19th century, high-level civil servants from the Dutch East Indies often spent long-term leave and vacations in The Hague. Many streets are named after places in
2014-758: Is Muziekcafé de Paap. The Spuiplein is a modern fourth square in the city centre, opposite the Nieuwe Kerk . Besides the City Hall , this was also the location of the Anton Philipszaal , home to the Residentie Orchestra , and the Lucent Danstheater , home to the internationally celebrated modern dance company Nederlands Dans Theater . These buildings, designed by Rem Koolhaas in 1988, have been demolished to make space for
2120-469: Is a consortium of those institutions. Its member institutions are: In 1948, the Congress of Europe was held with 750 delegates from 26 European governments, providing them with the opportunity to discuss ideas about the development of European integration , which eventually culminated in the creation of the modern-day European Union . The Hague has a service-oriented economy. A professional life in
2226-467: Is a lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the median of the road (the central reservation ) used for passing vehicles in other lanes. (North American usage also calls the higher-speed lane nearest the median the "inside lane" but in the United Kingdom this is the "outside lane".) Countries with right-hand traffic put the passing lane on the left; those with left-hand traffic put
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#17327875701862332-480: Is also host to the regional headquarters of Siemens , T-Mobile , AT&T , Huawei , Kuwait Petroleum Corporation , McDermott International , Saudi Aramco , TotalEnergies and Worley . There has never been any large-scale industrial activity in The Hague, with the possible exception of the fishing activities of the harbour in Scheveningen . Many of the city's logistical and minor-industrial services are in
2438-502: Is also maximal at a width of 3.0 to 3.1 metres (9.8 to 10.2 ft), both for motor traffic and for bicycles. Pedestrian volume declines as lanes widen, and intersections with narrower lanes provide the highest capacity for bicycles. As lane width decreases, traffic speed diminishes. Narrow lanes cost less to build and maintain. They lessen the time needed to walk across, and reduce stormwater runoff . Pedestrian volume declines as lanes widen, and intersections with narrower lanes provide
2544-519: Is becoming more student-friendly with the introduction of a new campus in 2012 of Leiden University as well as Leiden University College The Hague , which was established in 2010. The Royal Conservatory of The Hague and the Royal Academy of Art are also located there, as well as The Hague University , a vocational university and a branch of The Open University of the Netherlands . The city has many civil servants and diplomats . In fact,
2650-453: Is certain is that The Hague was founded by the last counts of the House of Holland . Floris IV already owned two residences in the area, but presumably purchased a third court situated by the present-day Hofvijver in 1229, previously owned by a woman called Meilendis. Presumably, Floris IV intended to rebuild the court into a large castle, but he died in a tournament in 1234, before anything
2756-692: Is home to many different international judicial bodies, such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT). It houses Scheveningen Prison , the ICC's detention center for those suspected of war crimes and other violations of international law. The Hague is the fourth major centre for
2862-458: Is not the case in many European countries. Lane markings are mostly lines painted on the road by a road marking machine , which can adjust the marking widths according to the lane type. Traffic reports in California often refer to accidents being "in the number X lane." The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assigns the numbers from left to right. The far left passing lane
2968-401: Is predominantly in one direction, and on roads that may be geographically constrained, such as over bridges. One or more lanes are removed from the opposing flow and added to the peak flow – this technique is known as tidal flow. Dedicated lanes are traffic lanes set aside for particular types of vehicles: Some jurisdictions generally prohibit trucks from faster lanes on motorways, or from
3074-647: Is the core municipality of the Greater The Hague urban area containing over 800,000 residents, and is also part of the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area , which, with a population of approximately 2.6 million, is the largest metropolitan area of the Netherlands. The city is also part of the Randstad region, one of the largest conurbations in Europe. The Hague is the seat of the Cabinet ,
3180-407: Is the most common religion among people with a Turkish or Moroccan migration background. Among people of Surinamese heritage there is more religious diversity, with Hinduism being the most common. Of The Hague's native Dutch population, most religious people adhere to Christianity. Just under 40% of the population of The Hague regularly attends a house of worship. As of the 2022 municipal election ,
3286-484: Is the number 1 lane. The number of the slow lane (closest to freeway onramps/offramps) depends on the total number of lanes, and could be anywhere from 2 to 8. However in the UK, "lane 1" is the "slow lane" (left-hand lane). Lane capacity varies widely due to conditions such as neighboring lanes, lane width, elements next to the road, number of driveways, presence of parking, speed limits, number of heavy vehicles and so on –
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3392-672: The Atlantic Wall was built through the city, causing a large quarter to be torn down by the Nazi occupants. On 3 March 1945, the Royal Air Force mistakenly bombed the Bezuidenhout quarter. The target was an installation of V-2 rockets in the nearby Haagse Bos park, but because of navigational errors, the bombs fell on a heavily populated and historic part of the city. The bombardment wreaked widespread destruction in
3498-546: The Binnenhof ) contains a six-screen Pathé cinema and a handful of bars and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. Adjacent to the Buitenhof is De Passage , the country's first covered shopping mall. Dating from the late 19th century, it contains many expensive and speciality shops. One of the country's largest music venues, Paard van Troje , can be found in the centre of The Hague. Another popular music venue in The Hague
3604-717: The Haagse Bos and work in the Noordeinde Palace in the city centre. Moreover, there are two former royal palaces in The Hague. The Kneuterdijk Palace , built in 1716, is now home to the Council of State of the Netherlands , and the Lange Voorhout Palace is now occupied by the Escher Museum , dedicated to Dutch graphical artist M. C. Escher . The Hague has its share of museums, most notably
3710-475: The Hagenezen , who speak plat Haags ("vulgar"); see Demographics below. The districts are: The Hague experiences a temperate oceanic climate ( Köppen: Cfb ) similar to almost all of the Netherlands. Because of its location on the coast, it experiences milder winters and cooler summers than more inland locations. However, because of its location, it can also be extremely windy in the winter and humid in
3816-661: The Mauritshuis , located next to the Binnenhof, which exhibits many paintings by Dutch masters, such as Johannes Vermeer , Rembrandt van Rijn and Paulus Potter . Other museums include the science museum Museon , the modern art museum Kunstmuseum , the historic museum Haags Historisch Museum , the national postal museum Museum voor Communicatie , the Museum Bredius , the Louis Couperus Museum ,
3922-512: The Ridderzaal ("Knights' Hall"), still intact, is the most prominent. It is still used for political events, such as the annual speech from the throne by the Dutch monarch . From the 13th century onward, the counts of Holland used The Hague as their administrative center and residence when in Holland. The village that originated around the Binnenhof was first mentioned as Die Haghe in
4028-611: The Rotterdam The Hague Airport and a light rail system called RandstadRail . This led to the creation of the Rotterdam-The Hague metropolitan area . This large conurbation centred on The Hague and Rotterdam is, in turn, part of the Randstad —specifically a band of municipalities called the South Wing ( Zuidvleugel ). The Randstad, which also includes among others Amsterdam and Utrecht , has
4134-608: The States General , the Supreme Court , and the Council of State of the Netherlands. King Willem-Alexander officially lives in the Huis ten Bosch and works at the Noordeinde Palace together with Queen Máxima . Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands are in the city. The Hague is also home to the headquarters of many Dutch companies , with Shell plc having major offices in the city as well. The Royal Library of
4240-468: The United Nations , after New York, Geneva and Vienna. The foundation of The Hague as an "international city of peace and justice" started at the end of the 19th century, when the first global peace conference took place in The Hague on Tobias Asser 's initiative, with a second one a few years later. A direct result of these meetings was the establishment of the world's first organisation for
4346-451: The fast lane , and the lane closest to the shoulder the slow lane . Some jurisdictions, particularly on limited-access roads, ban passing-lane driving while not overtaking another vehicle; others merely require slower cars to yield to quicker traffic by shifting to slower lanes, or have no limitations. A climbing lane , crawler lane (UK ), or truck lane , is an additional roadway lane that allows heavy or underpowered vehicles to ascend
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4452-453: The municipal council of The Hague contains thirteen parties, most notably the local Heart for The Hague (HvDH; 9 seats), Democrats 66 (D66; 8 seats), the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD; 7 seats) and GroenLinks (5 seats). Since 2019, the municipal executive has comprised VVD, D66, GroenLinks, CDA and PvdA. The chairman of the college is Mayor Jan van Zanen (VVD), and
4558-446: The 13th century Binnenhof , and this is still considered the cultural centre of the city. Nightlife centres around the three main squares in the city centre. The Plein (literally "Square") is taken by several large sidewalk cafés where often politicians may be spotted. The Grote Markt (literally "Great Market") is completely strewn with chairs and tables, summer or winter. The Buitenhof (literally "Outer Court", located just outside
4664-622: The 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, opened in the former headquarters of the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service in Leidschendam , a town within the greater area of The Hague. Other major international and European organisations based in The Hague include: Many academic institutions in the fields of international relations, international law, and international development are based in The Hague. The Hague Academic Coalition (HAC)
4770-659: The Binckhorst in the Laak district, which contains many sizeable warehouses. Tourism is an important sector in The Hague. The city is the second biggest Dutch tourist destination, after Amsterdam . In 2012, The Hague welcomed 1.2 million tourists (an increase of 80,000 compared to the previous year), half of whom came from abroad. The number of hotel nights in the city increased by 5%; in particular, visitors from neighbouring countries are finding their way to The Hague. Compared to 2011 Belgians booked 27% more hotel nights, while
4876-508: The Germans were good for 24% more hotel nights, and the French booked 20% more hotel nights. The 14% average increase in visits by foreign tourists more than compensated for the slight decrease of less than 1% by Dutch visitors. Tourists spend an average of €2 billion a year in the local economy. Today 1 in 10 residents make their living in the tourism sector. The Hague originated around
4982-506: The Lord of Monster. Seeking to exercise more direct control over the village, however, the Count split the village off and created a separate ambacht called Haagambacht, governed directly by the Counts of Holland. The territory of Haagambacht was considerably expanded during the reign of Floris V. When the House of Burgundy inherited the counties of Holland and Zeeland in 1432, they appointed
5088-527: The Netherlands is also located there. The Hague's coastal area includes the popular seaside resort Scheveningen . The Hague is known as the global hub of international law and arbitration. The International Court of Justice , the main judicial arm of the United Nations , is based in the city, as are the International Criminal Court , the Permanent Court of Arbitration , the Organisation for
5194-723: The Netherlands East Indies (as well as other former Dutch colonies such as Suriname) and there is a sizable " Indo " (i.e. mixed Dutch-Indonesian) community. Since the loss of these Dutch possessions in December 1949, " Indo people " also known as "Indische people" often refer to The Hague as "the Widow of the Indies". The older parts of the town have many characteristically wide and long streets. Houses are generally low-rise (often not more than three floors). A large part of
5300-596: The Netherlands mixed bus/cycle lanes are uncommon. According to the Sustainable Safety guidelines they would violate the principle of homogeneity and put road users of very different masses and speed behaviour into the same lane, which is generally discouraged. Some locations have allowed access to bus lanes to electric cars and/or hybrid cars . Oslo removed one such exception in 2017 following protests due to congestion in bus lanes. The large number of electric vehicles on Norwegian roads slowed buses, defeating
5406-492: The Netherlands, buses are allowed to use reserved tram tracks , usually laid in the middle of the road and marked with the text "Lijnbus". In the United Kingdom bus gates are common in towns and cities. A bus gate consists of a short section of road that only buses and authorised vehicles (typically taxis) can pass through. They are normally marked with the same street signage as bus lanes, but have "BUS GATE" marked on
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#17327875701865512-444: The Netherlands, while 15.6% has at least one parent who was born abroad in a western country, and 34.4% has at least one parent that was born in a non-western country. Just under half of The Hague's population identifies with a religious group. The two most popular religions are Christianity (29%) and Islam (14.1%). Religiosity is higher among people with a recent migration background from Indonesia, Turkey, Morocco and Surinam. Islam
5618-577: The Prohibition of Chemical Weapons , Europol , and approximately 200 other international governmental organizations . The name "The Hague" is commonly used as a totum pro parte to refer to either of the international courts that reside in the city. The Hague was first mentioned as Die Haghe in 1242. In the 15th century, the name des Graven hage came into use, literally meaning "the Count's Grove", with connotations such as "hedge", "private enclosure" or "hunting grounds". The count in question
5724-721: The UN's International Court of Justice . The establishments of the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal (1981), the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (1993), and the International Criminal Court (2002) in the city further consolidated its role as a centre for international legal arbitration. Most recently, on 1 March 2009, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon , a UN tribunal to investigate and prosecute suspects in
5830-745: The United States is the Lincoln Tunnel XBL (exclusive bus lane) along the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix in Hudson County, New Jersey , which carries approximately 700 buses per hour during morning peak times an average of one bus every 5.1 seconds. In contrast, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong carries 14,500 buses per day, or an average of about 605 an hour all day (not just peak times), but
5936-437: The allowable width of road vehicles to a current maximum of 2.55 m (100.4 in) for most trucks, and 2.6 m (102.4 in) for refrigerator trucks. These widths do not include side mirrors, but only the vehicle body. The minimum extra space had been 0.20 m (7.9 in) and it is currently assumed to be at least 0.25 m (9.8 in) on each side. The international standard allows roads with less traffic to add
6042-505: The area and caused 511 fatalities. Because of uncertainty about what to do after the destructions of the bombing, nobody attempted to plan a reconstruction of Bezuidenhout. In 1962, David Jokinen saw an opportunity to put an end to the situation where two main stations each served only part of the rail traffic. The Jokinen Plan included the intent to demolish the Staatsspoor Station entirely, with Hollands Spoor becoming
6148-635: The assumed maximum vehicle width, with an additional space to allow for lateral motion of the vehicle. In the United States , the maximum truck width had been 8 ft (2.4 m) in the Code of Federal Regulations of 1956, which exactly matched then standard shipping container width. The maximum truck width was increased in 1976 to 102 in (2.59 m) to harmonize with the slightly larger metric 2.6 m (102.4 in) world standard width. The same applies to standards in Europe, which increased
6254-755: The bus lane must give way to all the other road users resulting in long queues of buses. Some residents and observers criticize bus lane plans and implementations because they take space from other vehicles or require road widening, which can require the use of eminent domain . Lane In road transport , a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads ( highways ) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by lane markings . On multilane roadways and busier two-lane roads, lanes are designated with road surface markings . Major highways often have two multi-lane roadways separated by
6360-624: The bus lane, or cameras on the front of buses to automatically issue citations to vehicles obstructing the bus lane. Bus lanes give priority to buses, cutting down on journey times where roads are congested with other traffic and increasing the reliability of buses. The introduction of bus lanes can significantly assist in the reduction of air pollution . Bus lanes marked with colored pavement have been shown to reduce intrusions into bus lanes, speeding travel time and increasing bus reliability. Some network lengths of bus lanes in major cities, listed by buses per km of bus lane): The busiest bus lane in
6466-560: The centerline for highways in 1911. Hence, then chairman of the Road Commission, Edward N. Hines , is widely credited as the inventor of lane markings. The introduction of lane markings as a common standard is connected to June McCarroll , a physician in Indio , California. She began experimenting with painting lines on roads in 1917 after being run off a highway by a truck driver. After years of lobbying by McCarroll and her allies,
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#17327875701866572-417: The central station. Jokinen's plan sparked fierce discussions. The plan was not implemented, in part because it was only presented when decision-making had finally reached an advanced stage. In the site of the Staatsspoor station now stands the Den Haag Centraal railway station . After the war, The Hague became at one time the largest building site in Europe . The city expanded massively to the southwest, and
6678-399: The city centre – on the Korte Voorhout. New European Ensemble is a collective for contemporary music consisting on international musicians. The ensemble has its main base in the city. Scheveningen forms a second cultural centre of The Hague, having its own Pathé cinema as well as the musical theatre Circustheater although, especially in the summer, most night life concentrates around
6784-442: The city has eight aldermen: Anne Mulder , Kavita Parbhudayal (both VVD), Robert van Asten, Saskia Bruines (both D66), Liesbeth van Tongeren , Bert van Alphen (both GroenLinks), Hilbert Bredemeijer (CDA) and Martijn Balster (PvdA). Each alderman is responsible for a number of particular policy areas and one of the city's eight districts. On 1 October 2019, the National Department of Criminal Investigation ( Rijksrecherche ) performed
6890-706: The city is dominated by a large number of civil servants and diplomats working in the city; as of 2006 , 26% of the jobs in The Hague are those offered by the Dutch government or the international institutions. Large employers in this sector include the ministries of Defence , Justice , Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment , Foreign Affairs , the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and Transport, Public Works and Water Management . Several large international businesses have their headquarters in The Hague. Significant companies headquartered in The Hague include Aegon , APM Terminals , Damco , NIBC Bank , Chicago Bridge & Iron Company and PostNL . The city
6996-433: The city is more spacious than other Dutch cities and because of the incorporation of large and old nobility estates, the creation of various parks, and the use of green zones around natural streams, it is a much more green city than any other in the Netherlands. That is, excepting some medieval close-knitted streets in the centre. The Hague has a canal system around the old city center, which is mainly used for boat tours around
7102-416: The city of The Hague were highly controversial. In the 1990s, with the consent of the Dutch Parliament, The Hague annexed large areas from neighboring and non-adjacent towns to build new residential areas, which are still being developed today. The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea in the Netherlands and forms the centre of the Greater The Hague urban area . Westland and Wateringen lie to
7208-530: The city. Most of the canals were drained in the late 19th century and some were filled between 1910 and 1970 but many have been restored recently. The tallest buildings of The Hague are both 146-meter-tall ministries of Justice and Security and the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands, designed by Hans Kollhoff . Other significant skyscrapers include the Hoftoren , Het Strijkijzer and De Kroon . Religions in The Hague (2015) As of 1 January 2021, The Hague counts 549,163 inhabitants, making it
7314-413: The destroyed areas were quickly rebuilt. The population peaked at 600,000 inhabitants around 1965. In the 1970s and 1980s, mostly white middle-class families moved to neighbouring towns such as Voorburg , Leidschendam , Rijswijk and (most of all) Zoetermeer . This led to the traditional pattern of an impoverished inner city and more prosperous suburbs. Attempts to include parts of these municipalities in
7420-405: The distance from the nearest Roman city, Forum Hadriani (modern Voorburg ), and can be dated to the reign of the emperors Antoninus Pius (138–161; the column is dated 151), Caracalla (211–217), Gordian III (238–244), and Decius (249–251). Little is known about the origin of The Hague. There are no contemporary documents describing it, and later sources are often of dubious reliability. What
7526-441: The evening), and one contraflow lane . None of the lanes exclusively carried buses, but were designed to facilitate bus operations. In 1948, the East Side Trolley Tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island was converted to bus-only use and became the first dedicated busway in the United States, continuing to operate to this day. In 1956 Nashville became the first city to implement on-street bus lanes. Later that year, Chicago implemented
7632-578: The express lanes in an express-local system. Some lanes have restrictions based on vehicle weight , for example to prevent overloading certain parts of a bridge . A small number of jurisdictions have truck-only lanes, intended to increase reliability of freight deliveries. Different lanes can also have different height restrictions, depending on the shape of overpasses. The widths of vehicle lanes typically vary from 2.7 to 4.6 m (9 to 15 ft). Lane widths are commonly narrower on low volume roads and wider on higher volume roads. The lane width depends on
7738-567: The first two decades of the 20th century, head-on collisions became more common. The history of lane markings is connected to early mass automobile construction in Detroit. In 1906, the first Road Commission of Wayne County, Michigan was formed in an effort to make roads safer. (Henry Ford served on the board in the first year.) In 1909, the commission ordered the construction of the first concrete road (Woodard Avenue in Detroit), and conceived
7844-558: The first) studied the German example and implemented similar solutions. On 15 January 1964 the first bus lane in France was designated along the quai du Louvre in Paris and the first contraflow lane was established on the old pont de l’Alma on 15 June 1966. On 26 February 1968 the first bus lane in London was put into service on Vauxhall Bridge . The first contraflow bus lane in the UK
7950-424: The growth to continue to just over 600,000 inhabitants by 2030. The demonym of The Hague officially is Hagenaar , but the term Hagenees is informally used for someone who was born and raised in The Hague. The usage of these demonyms appears to be class-bound, with Hagenaar being the upper-class term and Hagenees being that of the lower-class. 43% of the population of The Hague has two parents that were born in
8056-463: The highest capacity for bicycles. Painted lane markings, which designate a single line of vehicles for movement within traffic, vary widely from country to country. In the United States , Canada , Mexico , Honduras , Puerto Rico , Virgin Islands and Norway , yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions and white separates lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction; but that
8162-530: The large number of civil servants employed in the country's government and for the Dutchmen who were retiring from the administration of the Netherlands East Indies . The growing city amalgamated the rural municipality of Loosduinen partly in 1903 and completely in 1923. The city sustained heavy damage during World War II . Many Jews were killed during the German occupation. Additionally,
8268-598: The main direction of travel, such as towards a downtown during morning rush hour traffic, with the buses using general purpose lanes in the other direction. Entire streets can be designated as bus lanes (such as Oxford Street in London, Princes Street in Edinburgh, or Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn ), allowing buses, taxis and delivery vehicles only, or a contra-flow bus lane can allow buses to travel in
8374-400: The median) from local lanes which have access to more frequent exits and entrances. Express lanes may have their own shoulders for safety, and sometimes dedicated entrance and exit ramps. (The term "express lane" is also used for HOV and toll lanes, which may or may not be physically separated.) A frontage road is a similar arrangement, were one or more lanes are physically separated from
8480-553: The northwestern part of the city, closer to the sea, whereas the southeastern neighbourhoods such as Transvaal , Moerwijk , and the Schilderswijk are significantly poorer, except the Vinex-locations of Leidschenveen-Ypenburg and Wateringse Veld . This division is reflected in the local accent: The more affluent citizens are usually called "Hagenaars" and speak so-called bekakt Haags ("posh"), this contrasts with
8586-439: The number and variety of foreign residents (especially the expatriates ) make the city quite culturally diverse, with many foreign pubs , shops and cultural events. The Hague is the largest Dutch city on the North Sea and includes two distinct beach resorts . The main beach resort Scheveningen , in the northwestern part of the city, is a popular destination for tourists as well as for inhabitants. With 10 million visitors
8692-439: The opposite direction to other vehicles. Some locations allow bicyclists or taxis to use bus lanes, however where bus or bicycle volumes are high, mixed traffic operations may result in uncomfortable conditions or delays. Certain other vehicles may also be permitted in bus lanes, such as taxis , high occupancy vehicles , motorcycles , or bicycles . Police , ambulance services and fire brigades can also use these lanes. In
8798-754: The outer sides and shoulders being at least 1.5 m (59 in) on each side. A modern Autobahn divided highway with two lanes per direction has lanes 3.75 m (12.3 ft) wide with an additional clearance of 0.50 m (20 in) on each side; with three lanes per direction this becomes 3.75 m (12.3 ft) for the rightmost lane and 3.5 m (11 ft) for the other lanes. Urban access roads and roads in low-density areas may have lanes as narrow as 2.50 m (8.2 ft) in width per lane, occasionally with shoulders roughly 1 m (39 in) wide. Depending on speed, road curvature and vehicle properties, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) combinations are prone to "high speed outside offtracking". This means that
8904-400: The passing lane on the right. Motorways typically have passing lanes along their entire length, but other roads might only have passing lanes for certain segments, depending on design specifications typically related to available space, funding, and traffic levels. A 2+1 road alternates the passing lane between directions every few kilometers/miles. The passing lane is commonly referred to as
9010-589: The privileges normally granted only to cities. In modern administrative law, "city rights" have no place anymore. In 1806, when the Kingdom of Holland was a puppet state of the First French Empire , the settlement was granted city rights by Louis Bonaparte . After the Napoleonic Wars , modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands were combined in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands to form
9116-629: The purpose of bus lanes. Bus lanes can become ineffective if weak enforcement allows use by unauthorized vehicles or illegal parking . Center-running bus lanes avoid the problem of private vehicles blocking the lane by double parking for loading of passengers or cargo. Evidence from the operation of urban arterials in Brisbane shows that a properly enforced bus lane, operating as designed without interference, can increase passenger throughput. In 2009 and 2010 traffic surveys showed that in Brisbane on
9222-542: The range can be as low as 1000 passenger cars / hour to as high as 4800 passenger cars / hour but mostly falls between 1500 and 2400 passenger cars / hour. The Hague The Hague ( / h eɪ ɡ / HAYG ; Dutch : Den Haag [dɛn ˈɦaːx] or 's-Gravenhage [ˌsxraːvə(n)ˈɦaːɣə] ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands . With
9328-680: The rearmost axle of the trailer does not follow the lateral path of the truck tractor unit, but may travel significantly—up to 1–3 meters (3–10 ft)—away from the curve center. Hence, narrow lanes on sharp curves have to be designed slightly wider than on straight roads. This effect is much greater on slippery snow-covered roads than on bare asphalt or cement concrete, calling for even larger lane widening. In urban settings both narrow (less than 2.8 m (9.2 ft)) and wide (over 3.1~3.2 m (10.2-10.5 ft)) lanes increase crash risks. Wider lanes (over 3.3~3.4m (10.8-11.2 ft)) are associated with 33% higher impact speeds, as well as higher crash rates. Carrying capacity
9434-490: The road surface, particularly at the beginning and end. Some cities use a diamond-shaped pavement marking to indicate an exclusive bus lane. The road surface may have a distinctive color, usually red, which has been shown to reduce prohibited vehicles from entering bus lanes. Road signs may communicate when a bus lane is in effect. Bus lanes may also be physically separated from other traffic using bollards, curbs, or other raised elements. In some cities, such as The Hague in
9540-467: The road surface. Bus gates are normally used as "short cuts" for public transport at junctions , roundabouts or through one-way systems . Bus lanes may have separate sets of dedicated traffic signals , to allow transit signal priority at intersections. Peak-only bus lanes are enforced only at certain times of the day, usually during rush hour , reverting to a general purpose or parking lane at other times. Peak-only bus lanes may be in effect only in
9646-557: The sea-front boulevard with its bars, restaurants and gambling halls. Several other attractions can be found in Scheveningen, such as the miniature park Madurodam , the Beelden aan Zee museum, and a Sea Life Centre . The Hague is the residence of the Dutch monarch, and several (former) royal palaces can be found in the city. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands live in Huis ten Bosch in
9752-641: The settlement of international disputes, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Shortly thereafter, the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie made the necessary funds available to build the Peace Palace to house the PCA. After the establishment of the League of Nations , The Hague became the seat of the Permanent Court of International Justice , which was replaced (after World War II ) by
9858-522: The south, Rijswijk , Delft and the Rotterdam conurbation (known as Rijnmond ) to the southeast, Pijnacker-Nootdorp and Zoetermeer to the east, Leidschendam-Voorburg , Voorschoten and the Leiden conurbation to the northeast and Wassenaar to the north. The conurbations around The Hague and Rotterdam are close enough to be seen as a single conurbation in some contexts. For example, they share
9964-429: The southwestern city was planned by the progressive Dutch architect H.P. Berlage about 1910. This 'Plan Berlage' decided the spacious and homely streets for several decades. In World War II, a large amount of the western portion of The Hague was destroyed by the Germans. Afterward, modernist architect W.M. Dudok planned its renewal, putting apartment blocks for the middle class in open park-like settings. The layout of
10070-637: The state of California officially adopted a policy of painting lines on its highways in November 1924. A portion of Interstate 10 near Indio has been named the Dr. June McCarroll Memorial Freeway in her honor. The first lane markings in Europe were painted at an accident hotspot in the small town of Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham , England, in 1921. The success of this experiment made its way to other hotspots and led to standardization of white paint lane markings throughout Great Britain. The first use in Germany
10176-538: The summer. It also gets more sunshine. City life concentrates around the Hofvijver and the Binnenhof , where the States General of the Netherlands is located. Because of its history, the historical inner city of The Hague differs in various aspects from the nearby smaller cities of Leiden and Delft . It does not have a cramped inner city, bordered by canals and walls. Instead, it has some small streets in
10282-636: The third-largest city in the Netherlands. Between 1800 and 1960, the city saw considerable growth from 40,000 in 1800 to 200,000 in 1900 and eventually 600,000 in 1960. The growth following 1900 was partially caused by the housing act of 1901, which stimulated the expansion of cities such as The Hague. In the period between 1960 and 1980, The Hague saw a shrinkage from 600,000 to 440,000 inhabitants, caused mostly by spatial policy, demographic processes, and lack of space. After several annexations and housing constructions, The Hague has since grown again, celebrating its 500,000th inhabitant in 2011. The municipality expects
10388-461: The town centre that may be dated from the late Middle Ages and several spacious streets boasting large and luxurious 18th-century residences built for diplomats and affluent Dutch families. It has a large church dating from the 15th century, a City Hall (built as such) from the 16th century, several large 17th-century palaces, a 17th-century Protestant church built in what was then a modern style, and many important 18th-century buildings. The city
10494-605: The town. In 1575, the States of Holland, temporarily based in Delft , even considered demolishing the city but this proposal was abandoned, after mediation by William the Silent . In 1588, The Hague became the permanent seat of the States of Holland as well as the States General of the Dutch Republic . For the administration to maintain control over city matters, The Hague never received official city status, although it did have many of
10600-420: The world and became standard for most roads. Originally, lines were drawn manually with ordinary paint which faded quickly. After World War II, the first machines for line markings were invented. Plastic strips became standard in the 1950s. This gradually led to the placement of plastic lane markings on all major roads. A passing lane (North American English), overtaking lane (English outside North America)
10706-508: The world's first bus rapid transitway . Upon opening, the 7-mile (11 km) busway featured specialized stations, signal priority , grade separation , and was expanded to 14 miles (23 km) by 1980. By 1972 there were over 140 kilometres (87 mi) of with-flow bus lanes in 100 cities within OECD member countries, and the network grew substantially in the following decades. The El Monte Busway between El Monte and Downtown Los Angeles
10812-473: Was built. His son and successor William II lived in the court, and after he was elected King of the Romans in 1248, he promptly returned to The Hague, and had builders turn the court into a "royal palace" ( regale palacium ), which would later be called the Binnenhof ("Inner Court"). He died in 1256 before this palace was completed but parts of it were finished during the reign of his son Floris V , of which
10918-503: Was in Berlin in 1925, where white paint marked both lanes and road edges. When the standard for the new autobahn network was conceived in the 1930s, it mandated the usage of black paint for the center line for each carriageway. Black is more visible on the bright surface of concrete. By 1939, lane markings had become so popular that they were officially standardized throughout the United States. The concept of lane markings spread throughout
11024-454: Was introduced in King's Road, Reading as a temporary measure when the road was made one-way (eastwards to Cemetery Junction) on 16 June 1968. The initial reason was to save the expense of rerouting the trolleybus , which was due to be scrapped on 3 November of that year. However the experiment proved so successful that it was made permanent for use by motor buses. In October 1971 Runcorn opened
11130-472: Was the Count of Holland (as is the case with nearby 's-Gravenzande ). The spelling ' s-Gravenhage was officially used for the city from the 17th century onward. Today, this name is only used in some official documents such as birth and marriage certificates. The city itself uses Den Haag in all its communications. The post office specifies that letters should be addressed to ' s-Gravenhage , but
11236-514: Was the first dedicated busway in the US, constructed in 1974. Bus lanes may be located in different locations on a street, such as on the sides of a street near the curb, or down the center. They may be long, continuous networks, or short segments used to allow buses to bypass bottlenecks or reduce route complexity, such as in a contraflow bus lane. Bus lanes may be demarcated in several ways. Descriptive text such as "BUS LANE" may be marked prominently on
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