Mobility minister eyes removing another Rue de la Loi car lane

Brussels mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt is aiming to put a new cycle path on the northern side of Rue de la Loi, as work continues during the autumn school break to improve the current cycleway on this near motorway in the heart of Brussels’ European district.

“On this axis, we should plant trees, but also add a cycle path separated from pedestrians on the right-hand side of the road," Van den Brandt said.

"To do all this, we need to work on the traffic flow, because this would remove yet another car lane."

Now permanent, the two-way cycle path introduced in May 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, removed one of the Rue de la Loi’s four car lanes.

Put in place to allow better social distancing between pedestrians on the pavement, the cycle way was also created due to the sharp rise in cyclists on the roads during lockdown.

However, on the opposite side of the road, pedestrians and cyclists still share a narrow stretch of pavement.

Rue Belliard, the other busy car route parallel to Rue de la Loi, could also lose a lane of traffic in favour of bicycles and pedestrians, Van den Brandt added.

These projects, which will not be discussed until the capital’s June 2024 regional elections, are likely to be controversial, the minister added.

“However, everyone who travels by bike, who walks and who takes the metro is one less person in traffic jams," she said.

"We must ensure that more and more people feel comfortable and safe travelling in this way, leaving room on the roads for people who really have no alternative to using the car.”

The permanent cycle path on the southern side of Rue de la Loi is currently being given a facelift. The large concrete blocks are being replaced by more discreet and narrower curbs.

The surface is also being painted in an ochre colour, so that the path is more visible at the intersections with cars. Work on the path is scheduled to end on Sunday.