Brussels' Bois de la Cambre will partially reopen to traffic from Thursday, city officials announced on Wednesday.
The large park, which borders on the Sonian Forest, was closed throughout the coronavirus crisis.
The Bois de la Cambre will be partially reopened to traffic in its northern part from Monday to Saturday, while the southern area will be for cyclists and pedestrians only. On Sundays, traffic will be banned everywhere except in two parking areas.
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The Brussels Region will adapt traffic lights on the regional roads around the Bois de la Cambre to improve traffic flow, it announced. It is also planning a study to strengthen alternatives for public transport and cycling in and around Bois de la Cambre.
The STIB bus 41 will be able to use its route through the park, but at a slower speed and only during weekdays.
"We are trying to find a healthy balance between the city's accessibility and the need for green and recreational space for our citizens," said Philippe Close, the Mayor of Brussels.
As for September, the start of the new school year, officials said that "their respective services" would work "on the implementation of a plan which will allow the public to take full ownership of the Bois de la Cambre and guarantee a North-South and West-East connection for car traffic."
The new circulation plans take into account Brussels' Good Move plan, a mobility plan that, among other goals, aims to reduce car use by 24% by 2030 and increase the use of bicycles fourfold, for which the city won the European Commission's European Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning award.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
