Car-free in Brussels
Posted by: Lydia in Brussels, tags: Brussels, car-free, happy, metroWe seem to be lucky enough to live in one of the few places in the world where it is easier to catch public transport than to drive. The public transit is not always perfect – sometimes trains are late, metros stop due to signal failure, and buses are so crowded you have to stand. The one-day train strike brought Belgium to a halt, paralyzing a major method of transit between the cities and adjacent countries.
Usually, however, the public transport is amazingly easy. We deliberately chose an apartment that is next to a supermarket, seconds from a metro and minutes from a train station. It is just so easy to get around. I simply look at a map of our destination to find the closest metro station, and then plunge down into the network and then pop up again when I have arrived. On the weekends we can wander down to the station to find a train that will take us to a new city for a quick day-trip.
At lunch time I hear my colleagues complain about having to drive to work. If there is an accident or snow, then it can take up to three hours each way. There are heated arguments over which road rules apply and which ones are only guidelines. Even at our table there is little consensus about giving way to cyclists or how to merge two lanes. I have been told that it is generally custom and habit that determines who gets right of way at an intersection, rather than the posted signs.
It is such a relief not to have to worry about parking, or cars, or speeding, or petrol prices. I carry a monthly pass in my wallet that gives me unlimited rides on all buses, trams, and metros within the city. It is like I have a legion of carriages waiting to take me to my destination. The even put the metro stations underground so that I don’t get cold while waiting the few minutes before my chariot arrives.
Photo by Hannes De Geest
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I agree that taking public transport is so much easier and safer than taking the car. (BTW have you had an actual “car free day” in Brussels yet, you will love them, the city looks so much nicer)
However, Brussels is a nightmare to bike through, I am used to biking hands-free over cobblestones in the rain whilst carrying groceries in Leuven and Kortrijk, but biking in Brussels would probably kill me…
Normally yes, but I’ve got a real hate-on for public transport this week. And really, cars should always give way to a bike, if for no other reason that the biker is much more likely to die if he gets hit.
You have a whole different perspective here. Interestingly enough; I think that the public transport system in Brussels is old and underdeveloped compared to Cologne that has the same size. Ask anybody in a wheelchair how easy it is to take public transport in Brussels. And that’s just the start.
I agree with you however that you don’t really need a car in Brussels either and that having one is even more of a hassle.
Last but not least: I’ve always been cycling in Grenoble, France, but the traffic here in Brussels is freaking me out. I only use the bike on weekends to get out of the city and only enjoy riding it once I’m safely in the Bois de la Cambre or similar.
Cedric – Have yet to experience a Car Free Day in Brussels. Sounds fun.
Lilacspecs – I agree that bikers should always have right of way. It is dangerous enough on the roads for them already.
Lapuce – You are correct. The public transport in Brussels is terrible for those who are mobility impaired. A lot of the metro stations don’t even have elevators.
Public transport in Brussels is underfunded, because of the way the Belgian political system works politicians can get much more votes by investing in a big region (Flanders, Wallonia) than a small one (Brussels)
Just compare the Brussels train stations with the beautiful new/renovated stations of Antwerpen Centraal or Liège Guillemins.