The Flemish cycle highway network in Belgium is the most comprehensive plan to connect cities, towns, suburbs and workplaces across the whole region through high-quality cycle infrastructure. As the plan continues to be implemented, we are seeing more and more case studies confirming that it is crucial to integrate cycling in the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Here’s why.

We have already seen that a cycle highway along high-speed rail can offer an attractive and direct connection between cities and towns. Cycle highways can also efficiently reuse service roads, often built alongside modernised roads or railways anyway, to ensure access to housing, fields or forests. To be truly efficient, however, cycle highway networks need to be integrated in engineering structures like bridges, tunnels or even railway station buildings to ensure continuity of cycling infrastructure.

Case studies like the new cycling bridge over the Brussels ring road demonstrate that it is complicated and expensive to retroactively fix barriers created by TEN-T infrastructures after they are built. This bridge is only one of 21 projects identified as necessary to alleviate the barrier effect of the ring road. But if cycling routes are integrated in the planning and design of major infrastructure projects from the very beginning, they can be created much easier, cheaper and with less disturbance for all the different users of the transport system. Another special challenge is implementing cycling infrastructure in major tunnels, something that could certainly be made easier by integrating cycling in TEN-T guidelines.

Map showing crossover between Flemish cycle highway network and TEN-T infrastructure (credit: Aleksander Buczyński, ECF; map background: OpenStreetMap).

Following our analysis of the meeting points between EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, and TEN-T, we made a similar calculation for the Flemish cycle highway network, covering Flanders and the Capital Region of Brussels, with a total length of 2,807 km. It turns out that as much as 49% (1367 km) of the cycle highway network interacts with the TEN-T infrastructure! This means almost one half of cycle highway length either follows a TEN-T railway, inland waterway or road, or crosses it (usually, by a bridge or tunnel).

TEN-T railways are the most common “friends” of cycle highways with 31% (883 km), then inland waterways (20%, 551 km) and roads (7%, 201 km). These percentages do not add up to 49%, because often you have two TEN-T modes in one place, for example a TEN-T rail bridge over a TEN-T inland waterway.  In total, cycle highways meet TEN-T infrastructure 876 times across the region – 491 times with railways, 222 times with inland waterways and 163 times with roads. 

Much of the remaining 51% of the cycle highway network also often follows railway lines or canals, but outside the TEN-T network. And of course, if we also include local cycling networks, the number of meeting points and the length of common corridors, will be much higher.

Since 2021, facilitating investments in cycle highways along railway lines throughout the country is a part of Belgium’s first federal plan for cycling promotion. Going forward, it’s key to remember: smart people do not pay twice. The upcoming revision of the TEN-T guidelines needs to ensure that cycling infrastructure is considered from the very beginning of TEN-T projects, instead of being retroactively fitted at a later date and with a much higher price tag.

Will the EU follow Belgium’s lead and integrate cycling in its transport policy? The time for decision is getting close, with the draft report from the European Parliament expected in October.

Interested in learning more about ECF's campaign to get cycling and EuroVelo included in the upcoming revision of the TEN-T guidelines? Check out our campaign page here.