The sidewalks in Brussels will be getting an overhaul to the tune of €6 million.
The renovations come after an analysis of the city’s sidewalks back in the first half of 2020, and are scheduled to take place over this year and the next. Some of the work has already begun.
“Everyone is a pedestrian,” Elke Van den Brandt, Minister of Mobility and Public Works, said in a statement, adding that 38% of journeys in the city are made on foot. “It is good for health, for the atmosphere in the city and for the environment.”
The changes are part of the city’s regional mobility plan GoodMove, which has drawn some backlash from people who own vehicles in Brussels and claim that the government is making it impossible to use their cars in the city.
?New pavements on the side walks of the Ch. de Ninove. They were in a horrible condition. We did small adaptations to secure the pedestrian crossings. I really had to fight for these ones... FYI, the work is not finished yet! ??♂️?♀️? pic.twitter.com/aHQItKt2QX
— Dimitri Strobbe (@dimitristrobbe) March 12, 2021
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For sidewalks, the renovations focus on the “Plus” network, which consists of areas with major concentrations of pedestrians as identified in partnership with Brussels municipalities. They’ve ranked the sidewalks in need of improvement according to those that need renovation in the short, medium, and long term.
“For these renovations, we take the comfort of pedestrians and less mobile people into account as much as possible by opting for concrete tiles of 20 centimetres by 20 centimetres,” explained Abdel Moussati of Brussels Mobility.
“Pedestrian crossings have been optimized and public transport stops are being adapted to the latest accessibility standards.”
Helen Lyons
The Brussels Times
