by Claus Wawrzinek
I currently have the opportunity to live in Brussels, Belgium, as a part of a one year assignment with the company that I work with. I have lived here in Brussels since November of last year. I live fairly close to the edge of town and have only 10 minutes to walk to a light rail stop or a subway stop of equal distance. Unfortunately, my workplace is not as well connected to the Brussels public transportation system, so I have to drive the 15 km to work each day.
There are several grocery stores, restaurants, and retail stores of all kinds within walking distance of where I live. Most parts of Brussels are also well connected with bicycle paths. Brussels is divided into French and Dutch (Flemish) speaking areas. The dividing line is just about in the middle of town. Areas with Dutch influence have a lot better bicycle routes than the French speaking area where I live. It is not too bad though, as I am able to find bicycle routes to all of the daily shopping I need to do.
I have recently hooked up with a bicycle advocacy group here in Brussels. The name of the group is “ProVelo”. There are many other bicycle advocacy groups in town. They lobby municipalities and hold public events of all sorts. They offer traffic training on bicycle for children and adults. They rent bicycles to tourists and offer guided tours of Brussels every weekend. The guided bicycle tours are only in French but most everyone speaks English if necessary. The bicycle tours I have taken so far have really helped me connect better to the different areas in town. I have seen many places that I would have never visited otherwise.
The tours are anywhere from 3 to 4 hours in length. Usually bicycles can be brought or rented. Participation costs only a few dollars. Bike rental is also very reasonable. The size of the group can vary, but is usually between 20 to 40 people. It is very easy to maneuver around the city. Some streets are quite narrow and can be easily be negotiated by bike. ProVelo offers a bike ride every weekend with a different theme. They explore architectural, cultural and historic treasures in different areas of town. The trips are well advertised ahead of time. They also offer weekend rides and day trips by bike further away from the city.
Many other European cities also offer guided tours by bike that are offered for visitors and residents. Brussels is able to take advantage of its urban fabric for the many modes of transportation. The way Brussels has grown over time has allowed it to maintain a well connected transportation system that includes light rail, subway and bus. Even so, politicians are still thinking of ways to interconnect the more urban modes of transportation to the not so well connected suburbs.
