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Cycling in 'Europe's most congested city' - a thought-provoking film from Brussels (+ video)Brussels Express Vimeo still

Cycling in 'Europe's most congested city' - a thought-provoking film from Brussels (+ video)

From couriers to transport professionals, documentary looks at how traffic came to rule Belgian capital and what can be done about it
by Simon_MacMichael
Fri, May 18, 2012 23:51
8

Think of urban cycling on the Continent, and the first city that springs to mind is likely to be Copenhagen or Amsterdam; cities where large proportions of the population use bicycles to undertake everyday journeys, creating a streetscape far removed from Britain’s car choked city centres. But a new 20-minute film from Belgium, Brussels Express, shows that Britain isn’t alone in possessing cities where the car is still viewed as king.

Taking as its starting point the experience of Karl-Heiz Pohl, the founder of the city’s first bike courier company, the film includes brief interviews with figures including Klaus Bondam, mayor of Copenhagen from 2006 to 2010, who contrasts the experience of his home city with the very different reality he found in Brussels.

It also features local cycle campaigners and transport professionals who explain how Brussels came to be, as the film puts it, “Europe’s most congested city,” the effect of that on its inhabitants and pointers towards what can be done to change that in the future.

Beautfully shot by Sander Vandenbroucke - be sure to watch it full screen for best effect - above all it's a thought-provoking film, and one that will resonate with anyone who cycles - or perhaps even drives - in Britain's major cities.

urban cycling
cycling film
Brussels Express
Belgium
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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WolfieSmith | 12 years ago
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Beautiful film. Shooting a bike film myself at the moment and some of the stuff shot from the back of a motorbike is just so smooth and not easy to do at all. Love the comment from the fixie shop owner about the bad attitude to cyclists not being 'cool'.

Despite all the problems of trying to ride in London and the UK Over the past 25 years I can see that we are on the cusp of change right now.

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OldRidgeback | 12 years ago
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Hmm, not sure it's Europe's most congested city. You should see Naples at rush hour.

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DrBike | 12 years ago
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I lived in Brussels for 3 years and commuted by bike for most of that time, however I lived on the eastern side of the centre and commuted away from the centre rather than into it. A used a couple of different routes but the majority of the journey was on cycle lanes (either dedicated or painted on the road). That's way better than any commuting that I've done over here.

I rarely cycled into the centre, mainly cos when I needed to go there it wasn't a problem to go by public transport or car, but I regularly rode through the eastern and southern parts of the city where it was relatively easy to avoid the busier roads. I didn't ever notice a lack of cyclists in the cenre but then again I wasn't in the centre much during working hours.

However for a country that has cycling so close to it's heart you'd think that cycling would be a popular way to commute, the problem as I see it is that cycling is thought of as more of a competitive sport to take part in at the weekends rather than a way to get to work.

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Alan Tullett | 12 years ago
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I think it's the French part that has the problem. It said the Flemish part was much better with 10-25% bike traffic and most of the best riders are Flemish I think. Interesting piece. I wonder what towns like Lyon are like.

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Alan Tullett | 12 years ago
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Alan Tullett wrote:

I I wonder what towns like Lyon are like.

Here you go:

http://www.copenhagenize.com/2011/02/lyon-pushes-for-more-bicycles.html

It was the success of the bike rental scheme in Lyon that led directly to Paris adopting Velib', by the way.

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sam_smith | 12 years ago
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It shows this country is starting to move in the right direction judging by the words of advice for Brussels from Copenhagen's former Mayor of Technics and Environment, Klaus Bondam. It also shows that the UK is alot more switched on about these types of traffic problems than other parts of Europe and I was shocked that Belgium, the birthplace of many great cyclists is not very cycle friendly.

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YourMum | 12 years ago
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Hmmm, excellent thought provoking piece. I think I'll share it with my local MP

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brakesmadly | 12 years ago
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New ministers arriving at parliament by bike? Wow - that brought a lump to my throat! When that happens you know you really are achieving permanent culture shift.

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