The municipality of Jette, northwest of Brussels' city centre, received a makeover to make the district greener, ensure smoother public transport connections and increase road safety. However, the project has been heavily criticised by locals.
A key axis that runs through the Brussels municipality of Jette, Boulevard de Smet de Naeyer, has been completely redeveloped, alongside Rue Léon Theodor and Rue Léopold I. The work, which focused on making the area safer and better connected, was recently completed.
"This project makes Jette even greener, more beautiful and safer in traffic," said Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt.
Accident-prone area
The project's main focus was Boulevard de Smet de Naeyer, between Avenue Guillaume De Greef and Avenue Charles Woeste. Both on the cemetery side and on the residential side, pavements are now wider and a separate cycle path has been added.
To reduce the number of accidents at the road intersection with Rue Jules Lahaye, the roundabout has been raised to slow down motorists on approach. Overall, 169 trees and other plants were added, making the area greener and improving water permeability.
The municipality itself redesigned Rue Léon Theodor between Place Reine Astrid and Boulevard de Smet de Naeyer. Shopkeepers received financial support to limit the negative impact on their business during the work.
Illustration of the work on Rue Leopold I. Credit: Elke Van den Brandt's cabinet
Pavements were widened to "revive the shopping street" and the road surface was renewed. Several trees were planted, bicycle racks installed and a rainwater management system was established. The main street has also been given priority over side streets to improve traffic flow and reduce the risk of accidents at intersections. Dozens of parking spaces were also removed, to the annoyance of some residents.
Sometime next year, new work will start on another part of the road. The carriageway will be widened to allow buses from opposite directions to pass each other, and passengers should gain several minutes in travel time as a result. A bicycle lane, trees, greenery and street furniture will also be added and pedestrian crossings will be made safer.
Tram works
Another key aspect of the renovation focused on tram traffic. On Boulevard de Smet de Naeyer, the tram bed is now on the side of the road instead of in the middle, with 2x1 lanes for car traffic on the other side.
Brussels Mobility reorganised tram lines 9 and 19 to increase the frequency of tram 9 to UZ Brussel, and a multi-modal interchange was added at the Jette cemetery, bringing together the stops of four tram lines (19, 51, 62, 93). Since July, the new line 19 has been running from De Wand to Simonis and line 9 from King Baudouin to Groot-Bijgaarden.
"Tram passengers passing through via Rue Léon Theodor, the main axis of both lines, can continue their journey towards Groot-Bijgaarden by changing on the same platform at the Broustin or Spiegel stops," Brussels Mobility noted. "At these same two stops, they can also easily and safely transfer to another platform and take the 9 towards Roi Baudouin. During rush hour, there is a tram every three minutes in both directions."
The new tracks were laid on sub-bases cushioned with anti-vibration mats to reduce noise pollution. These works were accompanied by a complete refurbishment of the public space: pavements were brought to the same level, and tram stops now meet the latest accessibility standards.
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The completed works will be celebrated by the commune's residents on Saturday with a large local party on Place Reine Astrid. Earlier this year, many of the residents and shopkeepers on the roads that were being redeveloped started to voice their frustration with the ongoing works, which started in September 2022.
Even before the work on Rue Léon Theodor began, a petition against the redevelopment garnered 1,200 signatures, with the reduction of parking spaces and the absence of loading zones spurring most of the anger.
