Two cyclists were nearly killed in the space of a few days at two dangerous intersections on Avenue du Parc. Activists will cycle back and forth between the two locations on Sunday to demand more safety.
A cyclist in his fifties was hospitalised last week after he was hit by a car on the Barrière de Saint-Gilles, an infamously chaotic roundabout where accidents are commonplace. This spurred a renewed sense of urgency to reduce traffic here. A few days later, a similar incident occurred on Place de Rochefort, located on the same street, but in the Brussels commune of Forest. A 46-year-old cyclist was hit by a lorry and was in mortal danger for a brief period.
"Barrière and Rochefort. Two major intersections with major design flaws regarding the safety of vulnerable road users," said mobility activist group Heroes for Zero. At both roundabouts, several major streets join together, making them particularly dangerous for vulnerable road users.
"In the past two weeks, two cyclists were seriously injured after collisions with motorised vehicles, a cruel reminder that the lack of political action and vision around mobility in Brussels continues to have serious consequences."
The organisation, together with the collectives 1190/0 (Forest) and 1060/0 (Saint-Gilles) – all campaigning for zero traffic deaths – are organising an action on Sunday to support the victims of the accidents and remind politicians that people in Brussels demand safety for all.
"Let us come together for a symbolic hour of cycling back and forth between the two intersections," the organisers said. The action will start at 14:00.
