30K speed limits in cities: French-speakers in Belgium want more of them (photo © GRACQ)

While the World you Like campaign is coming to a close with its award ceremony in Copenhagen, cycling advocacy organization GRACQ has published the findings from a survey that shows French-speaking Belgians would like to see lower speeds for cars, road safety improved for cyclists and pollution from transport to be reduced.

Belgium is a country that is all about its regions. Flanders, the northern Dutch-speaking region has a strong everyday cycling culture inspired by the bordering Netherlands. Wallonia, the southern, French-speaking part, has traditionally been more industrial, a lot hillier, and therefore less cycling- and more car-friendly – or at least, that’s what one would assume. And then there is Brussels, the capital, one of Europe's most congested cities.

A recent survey conducted by environmental NGO Inter-Environnement Wallonie (IEW) indicates that Walloons and inhabitants of Brussels, while still using their cars very often, could be more inclined to support cycling and road safety than you would think. 71% of respondents agree that road accidents have to be reduced.

As a consequence, 77% percent agree that there should be more separated bike lanes. Almost two thirds of respondents - 61% - are in favor of adapting the Belgian Highway Code towards the protection of cyclists. Support for further measures limiting car use is more mitigated, yet 50% would agree to a general speed limit of 30 km/h in cities. Upon the proposal to limit such a measure to city centers, support reached 61% again.

Luc Goffinet from ECF member GRACQ – Les cyclists quotidiens (the everyday cyclists) says the results show that French-speaking Belgians are actually more progressive in their opinions about traffic policy than politicians generally assume. As a consequence, the cycling association calls for a more ambitious speed reduction policy for the region. 

On the environmental side, the IEW survey also shows that 79% of Belgians from Wallonia and Brussels think that pollution from transport needs to be reduced. Yet Belgium is only one of two European countries where more new cars were registered than bicycles were sold in 2012 - the other being tiny Luxemburg. 

Belgians in Wallonia and Brussels thus seem to be well aware that traffic safety and a more environmentally-friendly traffic system goes along with limiting car speeds and car use and improving the infrastructure for active mobility modes. The World Walloons would like is a world where cycling is safer and cars are slower. 

Let's hope it will also be one where more people cycle regularly. Then it's also healthier, less polluting, cheaper - and a whole lot more fun.

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