Transport in Brussels
Brussels has an extensive network of both private or public transportation means. Public transportation includes
The complexity of the Belgian political landscape makes some transportation issues difficult to solve. The
Metro and light rail
Brussels Metro
The Brussels Metro was first opened in 1976 and has been expanding since, to comprise as of 2009 a set of four metro lines serving a total of 60 metro stations, most of which are underground. Line 1 connects Gare de l'Ouest/Weststation to the east of the city. Line 2 runs in a loop around the city centre. Line 5 runs between the west to the south-east of the city via the centre. Line 6 connects the King Baudouin Stadium at the north-west of Brussels, to the city centre, ending by a loop around the centre in the same way as line 2. Lines 3 and 4 are operated by major Brussels trams.
Brussels trams
Brussels trams are an old transportation means in Brussels, operated by the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB/MIVB) from 1954 on, but existing since 1869.[2] The Brussels tram system evolved a lot over time, from a rise in the first half of the 20th century (246 km (153 mi) of tram rails were serviced in 1955)[3] to a fall in the second half of the 20th century due to the popularisation of transport by bus and by car. In 1988 only 134 km (83 mi) of tram rails remained in Brussels.[4] Finally, the reduced tram network was extended in the late 2000s with the extension of existing lines from 131 km (81 mi) in 2007 to 140.6 km (87.4 mi) in 2017.[5]
Heavy rail
The
Buses
The first Brussels bus ran in 1907 from the
Roads
Brussels has the most congested traffic in North America and Europe according to a 2012 study by the US traffic information platform INRIX.[1]
Roads in Brussels range from highways leading to neighbouring countries or cities (the European routes E40, E411 and E19 plus the A12 and A201 highways) to national roads, major roads down to local streets. Brussels is surrounded by the Brussels Ring, and is crossed by two smaller orbital roads: the Greater Ring and the Small Ring.
Brussels buses, trams, taxis, cars and bicycles share the road network in Brussels. A car-sharing system is operated by the Bremen company Cambio, in partnership with STIB/MIVB and the local ridesharing company Taxi Stop.[7]
Airports
Brussels is served by two airports, both located outside of the administrative territory of the region. The most notable is Brussels Airport, located in the nearby Flemish municipality of Zaventem, 12 km (10 mi) east of the capital, which can be accessed by highway (A201), train and bus. The secondary airport is Brussels South Charleroi Airport, located in Gosselies, a part of the city of Charleroi (Wallonia), some 50 km (30 mi) south-west of Brussels, which can be accessed by highway (E19 then E420) or a private bus.
The Taiwanese
Water transport
Brussels has its
Cycling
Brussels is characterised by a relatively low level of cycling compared to Flanders and many other north-western European cities. The modal share is about 3.5% of all trips within Brussels, and 2.5% of all trips within, and entering/exiting the city.[9] However, the rate has increased significantly in recent years. Since 2009, a bicycle-sharing system named Villo! has been made available to the public.
Brussels has a high number of cycling accidents compared with Belgian rural areas but due to the urban context, most cycling accidents in Brussels result in only slight injuries.[10]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Brussels and Antwerp have worst traffic". Flanders Today. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ a b "De 1869 à 1953". Stib.be. Archived from the original on 2013-12-21. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
- ^ "De 1954 à 1959". Stib.be. Archived from the original on 2013-12-21. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
- ^ "De 1980 à 1989". Stib.be. Archived from the original on 2013-12-21. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
- ^ http://www.stib-mivb.be/irj/go/km/docs/WEBSITE_RES/Attachments/Corporate/Statistiques/2017/STIB_RA2017_Statistiques_FR_HDok.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-03-02.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Welkom bij cambio autodelen België". Cambio autodelen. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ "Between Belgium and Amsterdam Airport." EVA Air. Retrieved on February 29, 2016.
- ^ Camille Thiry (ed.). "Cahiers de l'Observatoire de la mobilité de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale: Les pratiques de déplacement à Bruxelles" (PDF) (in French). Bruxelles mobilité. p. 49. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Novembre 2011. 318 pages.
External links
- Media related to Transport in Brussels (municipality) at Wikimedia Commons
- Brussels Capital Region website
- Brussels Mobility portal (in French) (in Dutch)
- STIB/MIVB website
- SNCB/NMBS website
- Taxi and Collecto in Brussels