When temperatures drop, Rotterdam’s response to slippery streets is a mix of municipal muscle and small actions you can take yourself. Here is what gets treated first, where to check the official routes, and how to report hazards quickly.
What the city prioritises when it gets slippery
Rotterdam carries out winter maintenance during the winter season, which the municipality describes as running from November to April. The aim is to reduce slipperiness and keep the city moving, not to treat every street and pavement at once. The municipality also asks residents and small businesses to help by keeping the pavement outside their home or premises passable, alongside municipal winter work.
Where to see the gritting routes
If you cycle, drive, or rely on key connections, check whether your usual route is part of the official gritting network before you head out. Rotterdam publishes an interactive public map showing winter service layers, including gritting routes and salt collection locations.
Tip: bridges, quays and exposed stretches can stay treacherous even when the rest of your route feels fine. Planning a slightly longer, more sheltered route can be the difference between a smooth commute and a slide.
If you drive beyond the municipal network onto motorways, winter road treatment may fall under national road management rather than the city. This is useful context if you notice a difference between local roads and the main highways.
Free grit and what you can do outside your own front door
Rotterdam makes free gritting salt available at municipal collection points. Because details such as collection times can change, use the official “Gladheid” page as your reference before you go.
A few basics that help:
- Clear packed snow first, then salt. Salt works best on a thin layer, not a mound.
- Focus on the pinch points people actually walk through, such as curb edges, steps, and the route to the bin area.
- If you run a business, treat the stretch directly outside your entrance early. That is where slips cluster.
Reporting icy hazards, damage, and urgent problems
If you spot a dangerous or unsafe situation in public space, Rotterdam directs you to call 14 010 and says action is aimed within 24 hours for unsafe situations
For non-urgent issues in public space, the city directs you to MeldR (app and website) or the same phone number, depending on what you are reporting. That includes issues like damage, dirt, pests, or other street-level problems that can worsen when winter weather hits.
Calling (with a number) from outside the Netherlands? Rotterdam notes that 14 010 cannot be reached from abroad. Use +31 10 267 16 25 instead.
Useful links
Municipality winter maintenance overview (Gladheid):
https://www.rotterdam.nl/gladheid
Report an issue in public space (Melding buitenruimte doen):
https://www.rotterdam.nl/melding-buitenruimte-doen
Snel Herstel (unsafe situations, call 14 010):
https://www.rotterdam.nl/snel-herstel
MeldR info page:
https://www.rotterdam.nl/meldr
MeldR website portal:
https://meldr.rotterdam.nl
Rotterdam gritting routes map (ArcGIS):
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f9cdffd676a34ebfaffaee9328646da9
National road winter info (context for motorways):
https://www.rijkswaterstaat.nl/wegen/wegbeheer/winter-op-de-weg/strooien-en-zout
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