Everyone safely and comfortably ahead in Saint-Gilles & Forest
Vooruit.brussels continues to fight for a city on a human scale
For 20 years now, Vooruit.brussels has been the driving force behind the transformation of Brussels into a city made for people. A city where the public space is designed to be pleasant and easy to move around in.
With Vooruit.brussels in the lead, the metamorphosis of Saint-Gilles has taken off in recent years. Who can still remember that the Parvis, the beating heart of 1060, was a dreary open-air car park not so long ago? Our Deputy Willem Stevens turned the desolate Marie Janson square into a beautiful new multipurpose park enjoyed with gusto by young and old alike. The adjoining Pierre Paulus Park, popularly known as 'het Eendjespark', was beautifully renovated and the process of turning Place Van Meenen into a real square on a human scale has begun.
The transformation in St-Gillis is in full swing and Vooruit.brussels now wants to step up a gear.
In Forest, the situation is unfortunately different today. We are convinced that we, as Vooruit.brussels, can also take on a pioneering role here and steer the metamorphosis of the public space in the right direction. Just as we are doing in Saint-Gilles, we want to turn Forest into a piece of Brussels on a human scale.
Besides the redesign of our squares, three principles are central for Vooruit.brussels to make Forest and Saint-Gilles safe and comfortable places for everyone:
- smooth transit traffic, segregated cycle paths and wide pavements on major axes.
- residential areas tailored to residents with mainly one-way streets.
- comfortable and efficient public transport.
(Foto Willem op Marie Janson toevoegen)
Smooth traffic and segregated cycle lanes on major axes
For Vooruit.brussels, the priority is to tackle some major traffic axes in and around Saint-Gilles and Forest. Today, on these major axes, conflict situations between cars, trams and buses, pedestrians and cyclists create unsafe conditions and unnecessary traffic congestion. As a result, many motorists seek alternative shortcuts through our residential areas.
By separating car traffic, public transport, cyclists, and pedestrians as much as possible on a few crucial axes, we ensure that everyone can move smoothly, comfortably, and safely on these axes. Moreover, this will result in much less unnecessary car traffic in our quiet residential areas during rush hours.
Cyclists will be protected from car traffic on these axes by installing separate cycle paths. We do this as much as possible by providing a green verge with plants between the roadway and the cycle path.
On each major axis we also provide wide pavements that are visually clearly distinguishable from the cycle paths.
The remaining space can be used for parking spots (which should be permeable as much as possible) and trees.
Residential neighbourhoods tailored to residents with mainly one-way streets
Our residential neighbourhoods must be accessible to residents. On foot, by bicycle, by public transport and by car. We must design our streets so that everyone can move around their neighbourhood comfortably and safely, and we must also ensure that our public space frees up space to do other things in the interests of those who live there. We do this by making a large part of neighbourhood roads one-way.
Why do we choose one-way streets?
- Everything remains accessible to everyone, no matter how you choose to travel.
- Redundant traffic from people who don't live nearby can be cleverly directed to the major axes.
- Sufficient parking spaces can be provided for residents' cars and bikes.
- Lots of extra space can be used for fun and useful things, such as:
- Planting more trees and shrubs in our streets
- Providing benches and playground equipment for young and old
- Finally providing underground waste containers, so that the people of Brussels are not left with their rubbish unnecessarily long.
We redesign our neighbourhood roads at one level 'plain pied' and at all intersections we make safe crossings and provide sidewalk extensions. Where possible, we create new neighbourhood squares, play areas and dog parks. Neighbourhood roads adjacent to a school will be designated School Street.
Comfortable and efficient public transport
Anyone taking a tram or bus from Saint-Gilles or Forest towards the city centre during rush hour is often squeezed. Vooruit.brussels wants to drastically increase the frequency on key tram and bus lines such as (92, 54, ....) so that taking public transport becomes the most comfortable option.
Too often the trams and buses in Forest and in Sint-Gillis are blocked by car jams or mobile obstacles, such as wrongly parked cars. Vooruit.brussels wants public transport to run in its own lane as much as possible and to make illegal parking impossible so that public transport becomes the most efficient option.
The old trams (PCC) that still run very regularly today on lines 92, 81, ... are not easily accessible, especially for the elderly, people with limited mobility, and people with strollers. For Vooruit.brussels, investing in quality and comfortable public transport is necessary. Vooruit.brussels wants to replace the old vehicles with new trams in the short term.
Vooruit.brussels wants to realise a direct tram line connecting the centre of Forest with the new Albert mobility hub and with ULB / VUB.
Tram 7, which currently connects Heysel in Laeken with Vanderkindere in Uccle, is to be extended to the new Albert mobility hub and then connected to the existing tram lines at Rochefort.
Vooruit.brussels also wants to extend tram line 82 to the Bempt site.