Cycling in Ghent
In mid-October, I took a rail trip from London to Warszawa over 5 days. On the way I stopped in a Belgian city known for its cycling mode share and its traffic circulation plan.
In 2017, the city banned through traffic in its medieval city centre. All vehicles must use the ring road. As a result, most people choose to get around by bike and public transport, and most car traffic on side roads and residential streets is for access only.
This contributes to a calm cycling environment without the need for segregation on every street, as is imagined by some. Even though a large portion of cycle trips are by students (some one in five residents of Ghent is studying), the whole city sees the benefits. There are also plenty of primary routes to go long distances with their own segregation and traffic light cycles.
While I was waiting for a dinner spot to open, I went for a ride out of town of 15km, and didn’t break a sweat, because cycling wasn’t stressful. It’s a mode of transport, not just an extreme sport like it is in the UK.
Too often in my country, the arguments against cycling stem from perceptions of the ’lycra-clad maniac’, and most people perceive that allocating road space to anyone on two wheels is a waste.
You can’t justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river. – Brent Toderian