Almere is a city and municipality in Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus.Almere is one of the youngest cities in the Netherlands: the first house was finished in 1976, and Almere became a municipality in 1984. It is the largest municipality in Flevolan.
The original plans for the IJsselmeerpolders saw the land being used for agriculture. After World War II however ideas about housing for the rapidly growing population of Amsterdam were launched. Two towns in the polders Oostelijk Flevoland and Zuidelijk Flevoland were therefore designed. The town in Oostelijk Flevoland became Lelystad, the town in Zuidelijk Flevoland was still called Zuidweststad (English: South West City) on the first sketches, but in the 1970s it became called Almere, named after the early medieval name of the Zuiderzee.
Transport
The traffic infrastructure in Almere is recognisable because of its separate infrastructure for cycles (which have separate cycle paths), cars and buses (In Almere the buses drive on a separate bus lane). Almere is connected to the motorways the A6 and the A27.
Railway
In 1987 Almere was connected to the national railway (see NS) in 1988 with the fully completed Flevolijn which connected Weesp to Lelystad Centrum. Almere currently has five railway stations:
* Almere Muziekwijk (opend in 1987)
* Almere Centrum (opened in 1987)
* Almere Parkwijk (opened in 1996)
* Almere Buiten (opened in 1987)
* Almere Oostvaarders (opened in 2004).
A sixth station for Almere Poort will probably open within 3 years.
Public buses
In Almere there are 10 bus lines which service the urban area:
* 1 Almere Buiten Stripheldenbuurt-Almere Haven De Marken
* 2 CS Almere-Gooisekant
* 3 Almere de Vaart-Almere Haven Centrun
* 4 CS Almere-Almere Poort Columbuskwartier
* 5 Almere Oostvaarders-Almere 't Oor (bus station)
* 6 CS Almere-Almere Parkwijk
* 7 Almere Noorderplassen-Almere Sallandsekant
* 8 CS Almere-Kemphaan
* 9 Almere Buiten-Almere de Vaart
* 10 Almere Buiten- Almere Stad Gooisekant
Most buses run about every 7 minutes. The bus company that runs the buses is called Connexxion and the name of the local bus system is called Maxx Almere owned by Connexxion. In the buses one can use the national bus tickets, subscriptions or one can buy bus tickets of Maxx Almere.
Besides the local bus lines there are regional bus lines to Hilversum, Zeewolde, Harderwijk, Schiphol, Amsterdam Amstel
