Why?
The Ring (R0) around Brussels has developed the reputation of being unlivable and a place to be avoided. Traffic queues and accidents, cut-through traffic in the surrounding cities and municipalities, fragmentation of the bordering green spaces. On top of that, the oldest part of the Ring is 65-years old. Adaptations for today's needs are overdue.
The Ring was designed and built for the traffic of the previous century:
- mainly focussed on the car
- designed for much less traffic than today
- little consideration was given to soft road users and public transport
- little regard for existing spatial, functional and ecological relationships.
In turn, that has caused:
- barriers in and between residential areas, and in the open and green spaces
- neglect and splintering of the soft traffic network
- infrastructure that has not been adapted for increased traffic volumes
The redesign must breathe new life into the Ring, so it is ready for the traffic of today and tomorrow. We want to increase the quality of life for people and for animals.
Working on quality of life and accessibility
There is a need to comprehensively improve the infrastructure of the Ring for all modes of transport. Our approach means we take the spatial context into account: the urban fabric, nature, social and economic evolutions as well as technological developments.
More alternatives for the car
The infrastructure of the Ring is no longer fit for current mobility needs. In the region around the Ring there are few alternatives to the car. Unsafe crossings and cycle paths result in fewer people wanting to travel by bike. And inevitably, public transport gets stuck in traffic jams.
Unsafe and complex traffic situations
The Ring has a complex road infrastructure. Off and on-ramps are placed close proximity, which results in drivers having to make lane changes within very short distances. The Ring has to process both international, national and local traffic. The large amount of traffic, in combination with the complex road infrastructure leads to unsafe situations, incidents and traffic queues.
Quality of life in the Ring area
It is not only on the Ring that traffic jams and unsafe situations occur. The municipalities surrounding it also experience these issues. Drivers wanting to avoid the Ring cause cut-through traffic in the residential areas. Residents experience noise and vibration nuisance, and air quality and traffic safety also suffer.
Accessible industrial estates
The attractiveness of business zones in and around Brussels and the Flemish Periphery is in decline due to systemic traffic jams and the many (planned) infrastructure projects. Werken aan de Ring wants to support the economic growth in the Ring region by tackling the mobility issue.
Werken aan de Ring is undertaking more than just the redesign of the Ring. We are also looking at the Flemish Periphery region and the Brussels Capital Region, and even further afield than these two areas. With Werken aan de Ring, we hope to build the future of life on and around the Ring together.