More bike-only streets for Brussels

The Brussels-Capital Region’s transport minister, Brigitte Grouwels, and mobility minister Bruno De Lille have announced plans to create more bike-only streets in the city, like the experimental route on Avenue Louise/Louizalaan between Rue de La Vallée/Dalstraat and Place Stéphanie/Stephanieplein.

The Avenue Louise/Louizalaan street was created last year by painting bike symbols across the entire road. The speed limit was lowered to 30km/h, while signs indicated that cyclists could use the entire road, and cars were not allowed to overtake them

The goal of the pilot project was to encourage more cycling by slowing down cars, but figures show that the number of cyclists remains unchanged, accounting for 10% of vehicles using the stretch of road.

But the region wants to press ahead and expand the number of bike streets. “The cyclists have said that they feel safer,” De Lille told brusselnieuws.be. “And they also have more legal protection.”

He admitted that the project had not changed attitudes among drivers, who, he said, were still so aggressive that cyclists were afraid to be assertive. “We have to get the message across to drivers that they have to stay behind the cyclists,” De Lille said. “And the cyclists have to insist on asserting their place in the middle of the road.”

A second stretch of bike street will be implemented on Avenue des Arts/Kunstlaan between the Trône/Troon and Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet metro stations. The ministers also plan to improve safety on bike streets by installing speed bumps and have offered subsidies of up to €10,000 to Brussels districts that want to create bike streets.

photo courtesy transport ministry