Another day, another round in the infinite battle of cars vs. bikes in Brussels.
At the root of this whole debate - no matter which side you sit - is the simple fact that Brussels isn't a great place to bike, drive, or often even to walk.
Nobody likes traffic jams, but equally, nobody likes feeling unsafe on the road; if nothing changes we end up stuck in a stalemate. In an ideal world:
Pedestrians would chill on the pavement,
Bikes would cycle on the bike lane,
Cars would drive on the road.
With my, albeit limited, understanding of urban planning, that's how big cities should work. But dedicating space to different road users can be a thorny issue, as can ensuring that they stay in their allocated space.
We've all been in situations that stress this point:
Stuck in a traffic jam on a two-lane road that really wasn't built to take this much traffic,
Forced off the road by a car not leaving space for you on your bike,
Nearly bowled over by an overzealous cyclist on the pavement who may-or-may-not have had any other option.
That sucks for everyone. So are we dealing with an issue of finite space? Will more bike lanes mean fewer cars and less traffic?
Let @johnstonjules know (or email me j.johnston@brusselstimes.com)
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