One in five commuters in Brussels cycles to work, a study by HR group Acerta finds. The number is a record, and an increase of more than 40 per cent in four years. Public transport remains the most popular means of transport in the capital, while the car is number one in the rest of the country.
This is the 10th year that Acerta has mapped people’s commuting habits. It found that almost half of commuters (47.4%) in Brussels travel to work by public transport. This is a slight decrease compared to last year, but still well above the national average. In the rest of the country, less than 8 per cent of people use public transport to get to work.
A striking feature in Brussels is the increase in the number of commuters cycling to work, at around 20 per cent. Some of them combine cycling with travelling by car or public transport. 13 per cent cycle the entire way to work. Compared to the rest of the country, the number of cyclists is low: nationally, 43 per cent of employees commute by bike.
Public spaces are becoming more bicycle-friendly with the construction of additional cycle highways and wider cycle paths
“The rapid rise of the e-bike and the associated sophisticated cycling clothing and helmets are making cycling to work increasingly comfortable, even in Brussels,” says Charlotte Thijs, mobility expert at Acerta. “Public spaces are also becoming more bicycle-friendly with the construction of additional cycle highways and wider cycle paths.”
Even with public transport, the capital is not always easily accessible for people living in the Brussels periphery.
Last weekend, it became clear that the express tram between Brussels and Willebroek, which could connect commuters from the northern suburbs with Brussels, would not be built.
According to Flemish Mobility minister Annick De Ridder, there was “insufficient support among the Flemish Brabant mayors of the municipalities concerned”. The tram was intended to provide a solution to the large number of cars in the capital.
There has been a slight decrease in the number of commuters who take the car across the country. Only 41.4 per cent of Brussels residents use a car, while the national average is 78.2 per cent. On average, Brussels residents also live closer to work, with an average distance between home and work of 14.6km.
