The future is commuting by bike

Double interview with Nele Tierens and Frederik Depoortere

Flanders loves to cycle. You need only go into town or the countryside at the weekend and you’ll see them: the shopping cyclist, the peloton whooshing by, the recreational cyclist... Cyclists are taking over the streets at record speed. But now that we're all increasingly stuck in traffic jams during the week, we seem to be taking the bike more frequently on weekdays too. But is this really true? We asked Nele Tierens, mobility policy officer for the province of Flemish Brabant, and Frederik Depoortere, bicycle manager at Brussels Mobility.

Is it true that more and more people are cycling in Flanders and Brussels in recent years? 

Nele: The number of cyclists in Flemish Brabant is indeed rising. We can see this from both the federal diagnostics of commuting and from our own counting data. In order to map bicycle traffic, the province of Flemish Brabant has been performing counts on bicycle highways since 2012. And that shows that on the F3, the bicycle highway between Leuven and Brussels, bicycle traffic has increased by 24% in five years.

Frederik: Bicycle use in the Brussels-Capital Region has also been on the rise over the past 20 years. Bicycle use for commuting and short distances in particular is on the rise here.

A positive evolution. How can we increase that number even further?

Frederik: Surveys show that in Brussels it is mainly the volume of traffic and the feeling of insecurity that deters people from cycling. In addition, the lack of good cycling infrastructure is also cited as a reason for not cycling. In this context, I am pleased to announce that the bicycle parking facilities at the Beurs and De Brouckère metro stations will be completed by the end of 2018. By the way, a bicycle point and bicycle workshop will also be opened.

Nele: Good and safe cycling infrastructure is indeed a must, because in order to get more people to cycle, the bicycle has to be able to compete with the car. Both in terms of comfort and travel time. For example, the F3 Leuven-Brussels, which runs parallel to the super-saturated E40 and the N2, has enormous cycling potential.

So the bicycle highways that are being built as part of Works on the Ring Road are good news?

Frederik: The bicycle highways offer opportunities: they will make crossing the Ring even safer and smoother in the future. You can still easily reach the airport and the industrial areas along the Ring by bike. The bicycle highway can also be an interesting stimulus for people who want to switch to public transport.

Nele: Moreover, a number of bicycle highways are now being constructed at an accelerated pace. The new bicycle highways, like all other bicycle highways in Flanders, will feature the F-logo and have all the accompanying signs. In this way legibility is increased for cyclists on the route and at the same time the bicycle highway is highlighted for those who are 'not yet cyclists'. At the end of May, the provinces also launched an update of the website fietssnelwegen.be. On this website you can consult a map of all bicycle highways with info about design studies and roadworks.

As you pointed out, the bicycle highways are also a good thing for many companies: they can be used a lot for commuting. But are they up to it?

Nele: A width of 4 metres is being planned for the new bicycle highways. We have to take into account both the fast e-bikes, which are increasingly used for commuting, as well as the wider bicycle trailers and cargo bikes and the recreational cyclists who like to ride side by side. Schoolchildren and pedestrians should also be able to use the bicycle highway with peace of mind. That's why we always advocate the construction of wide bicycle highways. In this way, they are certainly future-proof.

And if we look beyond the cycling infrastructure, what other points of mobility can be improved from the point of view of the cyclist?

Nele: Cyclists should also be able to cycle safely and without problems in general traffic, i.e. without separate cycling infrastructure. Traffic taking shortcuts puts cyclists under pressure, makes cycling dangerous - sometimes subjectively - and is also detrimental to the quality of life in the region. It is therefore also a good thing that attention is paid to this in the programme Werken aan de Ring (Working on the Ring). But often it is a matter of really having the courage to take measures that limit car traffic and speed. We already have several school streets in Flemish Brabant. Bicycle streets, where the car is a guest, are also on the rise. Technologies such as ANPR camera allow very effective measures to be taken to keep out through traffic.

Frederik: Zone 30 is indeed very important for cyclists and we note that this speed limit is becoming more and more common in municipalities. So there is already a positive evolution taking place. In addition, the Bicycle Brigade is doing a very good job in the different neighbourhoods of Brussels. In consultation with the neighbourhood policeman, they can tackle citizens' problems quickly and efficiently.  

Companies are also getting onboard

Building better cycling infrastructure alone is not enough to convince more people to jump on their bike. It will take more than that. 

Nele: It is very important to continue to involve companies in the Werken aan de Ring (Working on the Ring) programme and to encourage them to opt for the bicycle. The province's Bicycle Test, allows Flemish Brabant companies to let their employees test different bicycles for three weeks. The result of this positive cycling experience often tempts those employees to choose the bike for commuting. But tax measures can also help, certainly in combination with a well thought-out parking policy. If the company car becomes less interesting and projects such as 'cash-for-car' and the mobility budget become more widespread, this may convince many employees to take the bicycle.

Working on the Ring: Bicycle highways along, over and under the Ring Road

A number of missing links in the bicycle network will be eliminated:

• Along the A12 motorway we are starting the construction of the F28, the bicycle highway which in time will allow you to cycle from Willebroek to Brussels. 
• The Canal route North (F23) is planned to connect Boom to Brussels in the future.
•  A new bicycle bridge over the Brussels ring road along the HST railway line between Leuven and Brussels,  will eliminate a crucial missing link on the HST cycle route (F3).
• Intersection with the A201 (F201), connection between Machelen and Woluwe-Saint-Stevens.
• Along the eastern side of the R22, we are constructing the F202, which connects Zaventem with the Kraainem region.
• The bicycle highway along the E40 (F203) provides a smooth, green connection between Brussels, Zaventem and Kraainem. 

We not only provide quality cycling infrastructure, where possible we also provide connections with other cycling routes and a connection with the public transport network.