Budget for cycling in Brussels doubled

Brussels mobility minister Pascal Smet wants cycling in Brussels to go up another gear and has doubled the budget for the construction of cycle paths from €6 to €12 million for 2015. The move comes in the wake of new figures which show that cycling is on the increase in Brussels. According to road checks carried out in 26 spots in Brussels, an average of 204 cyclists were counted per hour as opposed to 158 cyclists per hour the year before.

Smet welcomed the survey as “good news”, adding though that it didn’t show the full cycling picture in Brussels, as it was dependent on several variables, in particular the weather.

The extra money will go towards various new cycling projects. Plans are afoot to introduce a separate bike lane on the entire inner ring road of Brussels as well as increasing the number of crossroads with red lights where cyclists can turn right.

To encourage more people in Brussels to get on their bike, Smet is also touting the idea of electric bikes in Brussels. Many pedestrians are put off the idea of cycling in Brussels due to its hills. Introducing electric bikes among the ranks of city rental bikes Villo! is thought to be one way of getting round the problem.