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Brussels’ new circulation plan: No more city-centre transit traffic

17:42 16/08/2022

A new circulation plan for the city of Brussels eliminates traffic transiting the city centre from Tuesday, reports RTBF. 

The Good Move Mobility Plan aims for a calmer area around the pentagon with more space for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. It hopes to improve life in a city that has some of the worst car traffic in Europe; Brussels took the crown for worst traffic world-wide in 2013.

The sheer volume of cars in the capital has blackened historic sites like cathedrals and contributed to negative health outcomes for residents as a result of high levels of air pollution. It prompted local authorities to create the mobility plan.

Central to Good Move is a new traffic plan that entered into force on 16 August. Traffic stewards were on hand to help motorists navigate the new system. The new plan will reduce transiting traffic in both busy and residential areas of the city centre, while giving more space to alternative methods of transport.

Good Move includes changes by city municipalities, all geared towards easing traffic and improving safety and lowering air pollution. It’s expected to take over 10 years to implement all of the changes throughout the whole of Brussels. 

Eliminating transit traffic

A pedestrian walkway in the pentagon area is one of the focus points of the plan. While cars will still be allowed to drive outside the new pedestrian zone, through traffic will find it prohibitively more difficult. 

Travelling by car remains possible if the centre is the destination, but otherwise traffic will be systematically directed towards the inner ring via traffic loops, one-way roads and filtering.

Travel for cyclists will be improved through the creation of a cycling lane between Rue Van Artevelde and Rue de Laeken.

Brussels is also using Good Move to tackle 12 “Accident Concentration Zones” in the pentagon area, where pedestrians and cyclists are at an increased risk of being involved in a road traffic accident.

Photo: © Belga/James Arthur Gekiere

Written by Helen Lyons