> The Brussels Region wants to transform the access road to Flanders from the Heysel to the Van Praet bridge into a green promenade. This should increase the quality of life for local residents, but at the same time there are fears about the accessibility of the city. What could the consequences be?
>
> The Brussels Region has applied for a permit to transform the end of the A12 freeway into an urban promenade. This involves about three kilometers of the A12 and R21 between the Heysel and the Van Praet bridge.
>
> In order to enter Brussels by car, the project gradually reduces the number of lanes from three to two to one. This will free up space for the bus, for a new streetcar line between Neder-over-Heembeek and the center, for bicycle highways in both directions and for a walking path between the trees.
>
> **Quality of life and accessibility**
> With this project, Brussels Minister for Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) wants to give back public space to the local residents: “The freeway now runs alongside residential areas here and we want to improve the quality of life of the residents by giving back green space to active road users such as cyclists and walkers. In this way, there will be a better balance between the access road into the city and the habitability and liveability of the neighborhoods around it.”
>
> Employers’ organization Voka thinks that such a boulevard could indeed be attractive for residents and also for employees in the city, but is concerned about accessibility. Thousands of commuters now use these roads, says Jan Van Doren of Voka: “There is no integrated approach, so especially in combination with the works on the Ring Road, traffic in the Brussels periphery will be blocked. This will cause commuters to avoid Brussels and make it harder for Brussels businesses to attract new employees.”
>
>
> According to Van den Brandt, the inconvenience for the car commuter will not be too bad: “People who have no alternative will still be able to drive into town via the A12. Mobility studies show that there is already much less traffic on the stretch where we want to narrow to one lane.”
>
> In addition, the Brussels Region also wants to encourage commuters in particular to look for alternatives to the car to come to Brussels or to park the car at an interchange on the outskirts of the city.
>
> **Risks to mobility**
> There is less road capacity in the city than on the Brussels Ring Road. Chris Tampère, professor of mobility at KU Leuven, therefore understands the choice made by the Brussels Region to make the transition to a lower urban capacity immediately after the Ring Road, in order to focus on quality of life.
>
> But this choice also has disadvantages: “In this way, you sacrifice a piece of buffer space that makes your road network more vulnerable: if, for example, a small accident happens, it immediately has major consequences up to the Ring Road and the freeways leading to it.”
>
> Moreover, it is difficult to predict whether car commuters will make the switch to more public transport, says Tampère: “If you have already gone through several traffic jams on freeways and the Ring Road to get to the outskirts of Brussels, is it realistic to expect that at that point those people will make the effort to switch to public transport?”
>
>
> **Consultation between Flanders and Brussels**
> The regions need each other for smooth mobility, but an integrated approach is still lacking, notes Tampère: “Flanders is counting on Brussels to smoothly distribute the traffic after the Ring Road for commuters. Conversely, Brussels is counting on Flanders to direct people via the Ring Road to the various access roads to Brussels, thus reducing traffic through Brussels. Yet there is little coordination between the regions and they often decide unilaterally.” Voka also regrets that there was not more consultation between the Flemish and Brussels Regions.
>
> The Flemish government, as well as local residents, can comment on the project now that the permit has been submitted and a public inquiry will follow. The plans can still be modified afterwards. Minister Van den Brandt hopes to be able to start work next year and have it completed by the end of the term.
>
> Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Will they fix the problems in Brussels North then as compensation?
These Greens want to punish everyone who still enjoys having a car lol
For the daily car drivers: Closing lanes and creating alternative ways of transport is beneficial for car transport. You’ll see eventually you’ll navigate faster and safer through this part of the city.
4 comments
> The Brussels Region wants to transform the access road to Flanders from the Heysel to the Van Praet bridge into a green promenade. This should increase the quality of life for local residents, but at the same time there are fears about the accessibility of the city. What could the consequences be?
>
> The Brussels Region has applied for a permit to transform the end of the A12 freeway into an urban promenade. This involves about three kilometers of the A12 and R21 between the Heysel and the Van Praet bridge.
>
> In order to enter Brussels by car, the project gradually reduces the number of lanes from three to two to one. This will free up space for the bus, for a new streetcar line between Neder-over-Heembeek and the center, for bicycle highways in both directions and for a walking path between the trees.
>
> **Quality of life and accessibility**
> With this project, Brussels Minister for Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) wants to give back public space to the local residents: “The freeway now runs alongside residential areas here and we want to improve the quality of life of the residents by giving back green space to active road users such as cyclists and walkers. In this way, there will be a better balance between the access road into the city and the habitability and liveability of the neighborhoods around it.”
>
> Employers’ organization Voka thinks that such a boulevard could indeed be attractive for residents and also for employees in the city, but is concerned about accessibility. Thousands of commuters now use these roads, says Jan Van Doren of Voka: “There is no integrated approach, so especially in combination with the works on the Ring Road, traffic in the Brussels periphery will be blocked. This will cause commuters to avoid Brussels and make it harder for Brussels businesses to attract new employees.”
>
>
> According to Van den Brandt, the inconvenience for the car commuter will not be too bad: “People who have no alternative will still be able to drive into town via the A12. Mobility studies show that there is already much less traffic on the stretch where we want to narrow to one lane.”
>
> In addition, the Brussels Region also wants to encourage commuters in particular to look for alternatives to the car to come to Brussels or to park the car at an interchange on the outskirts of the city.
>
> **Risks to mobility**
> There is less road capacity in the city than on the Brussels Ring Road. Chris Tampère, professor of mobility at KU Leuven, therefore understands the choice made by the Brussels Region to make the transition to a lower urban capacity immediately after the Ring Road, in order to focus on quality of life.
>
> But this choice also has disadvantages: “In this way, you sacrifice a piece of buffer space that makes your road network more vulnerable: if, for example, a small accident happens, it immediately has major consequences up to the Ring Road and the freeways leading to it.”
>
> Moreover, it is difficult to predict whether car commuters will make the switch to more public transport, says Tampère: “If you have already gone through several traffic jams on freeways and the Ring Road to get to the outskirts of Brussels, is it realistic to expect that at that point those people will make the effort to switch to public transport?”
>
>
> **Consultation between Flanders and Brussels**
> The regions need each other for smooth mobility, but an integrated approach is still lacking, notes Tampère: “Flanders is counting on Brussels to smoothly distribute the traffic after the Ring Road for commuters. Conversely, Brussels is counting on Flanders to direct people via the Ring Road to the various access roads to Brussels, thus reducing traffic through Brussels. Yet there is little coordination between the regions and they often decide unilaterally.” Voka also regrets that there was not more consultation between the Flemish and Brussels Regions.
>
> The Flemish government, as well as local residents, can comment on the project now that the permit has been submitted and a public inquiry will follow. The plans can still be modified afterwards. Minister Van den Brandt hopes to be able to start work next year and have it completed by the end of the term.
>
> Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Will they fix the problems in Brussels North then as compensation?
These Greens want to punish everyone who still enjoys having a car lol
For the daily car drivers: Closing lanes and creating alternative ways of transport is beneficial for car transport. You’ll see eventually you’ll navigate faster and safer through this part of the city.
In case you’re wondering how this works: https://youtu.be/2z7o3sRxA5g