Brussels' Pedestrian Zone Is So Crowded It's Restricting Bikes

(Bloomberg CityLab) Ten years after Brussels’ groundbreaking pedestrian zone was first introduced, the city is shifting its policies to prevent becoming a victim of its own success.

When the 50-hectare (124-acre) Pietonnier zone opened in 2015, it was envisioned as a clean, green, walkable heart for the city. Some businesses nearby feared that removing 400 parking spaces and blocking car traffic on what is effectively Brussels’ main drag would harm their trade. Instead, the Pietonnier has boomed. Foot traffic has increased, while the car-free area has become a kind of unofficial main square.

Despite the breadth of four lanes plus wide sidewalks, cyclists and pedestrians have clashed, with bikers weaving through the crowds. Pedestrians have regularly complained to the police about bikers not adhering to the zone’s 6 kilometers-per-hour (3.7 miles-per-hour) speed limit.

Now, tensions between bikers and pedestrians have caused the city to announce a ban on bikes most of the day.

“We had hoped that coexistence would work,” Brussels Transit Commissioner Anais Maes told the Brussels Times. “But in practice, very few cyclists or e-scooter riders respect the 6 kph limit. At some point, when there are too many conflicts, you must make decisions, and we put pedestrians first.” .....................(more)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-13/brussels-is-restricting-cyclists-in-its-pedestrian-zone?srnd=phx-citylab