Electric and cargo bikes fuel boom in Brussels cycling

Cycling continues to gain ground as a popular way of getting around Brussels, fuelled by the growth of electric bicycles, new figures reveal.

Bike use was up 9% last year, according to the Brussels Bike Observatory, based on data collected by volunteers from Pro Velo ASBL at several dozen counting points around the Brussels region.

Cycling's share of all transport use in Brussels has been steadily rising since 2010, growing on average by 13% every year, except in 2016 and 2017 when it stagnated.

An estimated one in five cyclists in Brussels uses an electric bike, according to the latest research, up from 12% in 2018.

Cargo bikes are also experiencing a boom. Virtually unknown five years ago, they now account for 4% of the region's cycling journeys. They also increasingly being used by parents to transport their children, the study found.

"There is still a lot of work to do, in terms of infrastructure and secure parking, to make cycling accessible to everyone, especially in more disadvantaged areas," said Brussels mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt. "But we are on the right track and we have never been so motivated."