This article is part of Politico Global Policy Lab: Living Cities, a collaborative journalism project exploring the future of cities. Chapter 3 of the project is presented by Holcim,
Almost everyone agrees that Brussels’ car-clogged European Quarter is a pain to navigate. But the question of how to solve the traffic nightmare is more divisive.
European Union Institutions want to make One A 600-metre pedestrian and cyclist lane that will link the Berlemont headquarters of the European Commission to the esplanade outside the European Parliament. But a full feasibility study is underway, with genuine commuters claiming it is a futile project and a waste of time.
“One of the most pressing issues we have is how to get to the EU quarter – building this bridge will not solve real infrastructure issues,” said Oliver Kozak, who chairs the EU Cycling Group, which The organizations represent about 2,700 workers.
Unlike the rest of Brussels, the city’s European Quarter is laid out as a grid divided by two multi-lane traffic-filled streets – rue de la Loi and rue Belliard – which separate the commission’s headquarters from the parliament building.
New Project is intended to create an easy passage between the two buildings; Currently Commissioners and MEPs rely on the EU chauffeur service for a 15-minute walk or 1 kilometer route to avoid tight rail service. The new bridge could also provide an alternative route for tourists and workers milling around the district.
A full feasibility study on any future overpass will begin this year, as reported by local outlets earlier this week BruiseTo assess its cost and practicality.
“The idea was to create a kind of Brussels High Line with nature and biodiversity [built] On poles it will therefore be less expensive,” said Pascal Smet, Brussels’ state secretary for urbanism, referring to disused railway tracks in Manhattan that have been converted into public parks since 2009.
“It will be attractive not only for people working in the European Parliament, but also for tourists and people living in Brussels,” Smet said.
The New York project has become a tourist attraction and has inspired similar plans. hofbogen in Rotterdam and, to some extent, now canceled plans For the pay-to-access Garden Bridge over the River Thames in London.
There is no clear construction cost associated with the Brussels Bridge plan, but it will almost certainly run into the hundreds of millions of euros. It is still undecided whether EU institutions will be part of the bill.
In fact, the hilly topography of Brussels complicated connecting Berlemont to Parliament, as any lane would require a sharp incline. A more practical plan would be to reduce the noise level of Parliament, but this would leave cyclists and pedestrians stranded on the wrong side of rue Belliard.
“The focus should be on helping people move around the city, not a symbolic infrastructure project,” said Kojak, who has lived and worked in Brussels for eight years. “Instead of building a bridge, the city should work on improving the existing road infrastructure and making it safer for cyclists.”
Even if the project gets the green light after a feasibility study by Brussels’ local construction agency Beliris, it won’t be ready until 2030, Smet said.
Other projects to ease traffic in the area are already underway and Brussels has launched ambitious plans to stop traffic in many parts of the city as part of a larger regional plan – known as good move – To reduce car traffic by 24 percent by 2030.
Plans to cut Rue de la Loi and Rue Belliard to three lanes are currently embroiled in planning debate, although this is a project redesign and partial pedestrianization The Schumann roundabout outside the Commission and Council buildings – almost entirely with concrete – is already planned.
This article is part of Politico Global Policy Lab: Living Cities, Chapter 3 of the project is presented by Holcim, This article was prepared by Politico reporters and editors with complete editorial independence. learn more Regarding editorial content submitted by external advertisers. You can sign up for Living Cities Here,