Luxembourg, cycling city: slow maturation
Luxembourg is in the top 100 of the most congested cities in the world in terms of car traffic, according to the
Tom Tom traffic index
2021. Traffic jams, air and noise pollution, greenhouse gases: the nuisances that are caused, whether for the health, the climate or the nerves of motorists, are multiple.
One solution – among others with public transport, carpooling and walking – seems within reach: the bicycle. But in the country where the rate of cars per inhabitant is the highest in Europe, this mode of transport is still struggling to establish itself in the capital.
The consequence of a lack of infrastructure? This is the opinion of the déi Gréng party, in opposition to the municipal council, which has multiplied press conferences, motions and proposals on this subject. The network of cycle lanes would not be coherent, it would not be able to cross the city and, above all, it would not offer the guarantee of safety necessary to encourage people to use the bicycle.
The municipality makes measurements on the right and on the left, but there is no general concept.
“The municipality takes measures to the right and to the left, but there is no general concept”, estimates the municipal councilor of opposition François Benoy (déi Gréng). “But it’s a whole pyramid that must work: you need peaceful neighborhoods, without passing traffic, with cars at low speed, to be able to arrive safely at the main cycle path in the neighborhood, which takes me to the station or in town. Then I can find a connection on another secure track which itself is linked to another neighborhood.” But the reality remains far from this ideal, for lack of “political will”.
Constant improvement
“I’m not claiming that everything is perfect, but the improvement is constant”, defends the alderman for mobility, Patrick Goldschmidt (DP), who describes himself as a convinced follower of soft mobility. He notes a “huge increase” in bicycle users in recent years. “It wouldn’t be the case if the network was so bad”, he judges, even if he recognizes that “we must continue to make efforts”. The major cycle paths on avenue de la Liberté and avenue de la gare, as well as that depending on the place de l’Étoile on the Kirchberg plateau, are in any case there to testify to the improvement of the network, according to him.
I’m not claiming that everything is perfect, but the improvement is constant.
In addition, within the districts, the 30 zones – where the speed is limited to 30 km/h – have been multiplied to allow cohabitation between bicycles and cars. And “cycling streets” – bicycles have priority there and cars and buses are prohibited from overtaking them – have also been set up, in particular rue de Bragance, rue des Trévires or Val Sainte-Croix.
Major axes connecting these districts to the two “centres” – the Upper Town and the station – have also been developed or are in the process of being developed. The alderman thus wants, by the end of the year, to connect by two cycle lanes the Schuman roundabout to the Prince Henri boulevard by widening a path in the park. Then make a second connection to Boulevard Prince Henri from Place de l’Étoile – removing a few trees along the way. It will also be a question of removing the parking spaces on this same boulevard, between the avenue Émile Reuter and the Pescatore foundation, to secure a bidirectional cycle path. “With this, from the Kinepolis of Kirchberg to the Cloche d’Or, you will have a much safer route for bicycles”, assures Patrick Goldschmidt.
Rue Jean-Baptiste Gellé, in the Bonnevoie district, has been designated as a “cycling street”.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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In these “cycling streets” – here rue Irmine – bicycles have priority and cars and buses are prohibited from overtaking them.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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“It’s a lot of paint for few results,” criticizes François Benoy, who wants “cycling streets” worthy of the name, with modal filters and chicanes.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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Rue des Trévires, in the Bonnevoie district, has become a “zone 30” as a “cycling street”.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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The objective, by reducing the speed of cars, is to better protect cyclists.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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“We need peaceful neighborhoods, without passing traffic, with low-speed cars,” recommends François Benoy to encourage the use of bicycles.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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The tramway project has made it possible to install secure cycle paths around the tracks, such as avenue de la Liberté, explains Patrick Goldschmidt.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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A necessary security for bicycle users to feel safe, even as a family, according to François Benoy.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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But the cycle path does not follow the route of the tramway beyond the Adolphe bridge. And axes like Monterey Avenue are not yet secure for bicycle users.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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Bicycles must use the park along Boulevard Prince Henri.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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A zone of cohabitation between pedestrians and bicycles has been delimited in the park.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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The alderman wants, by the end of the year, to connect two cycle lanes from the Schuman roundabout to Prince Henri Boulevard.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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For this, it will be necessary to widen a path in the park.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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Bicycles can then reach the Kirchberg plateau, via an area shared with pedestrians.
(Photo: Matic Zorman / Modern House)
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Commune versus State
Which should not be enough to convince François Benoy. The measures remain fragmented, according to him. Or unsatisfactory: the “cycling streets” must be “worthy” of their name, he claims. “It’s a lot of paint for little results”, he criticizes, judging that the signage alone is not enough and that modal filters or baffles are also necessary.
The mobility alderman is doing his best, but he does not have the necessary political support within his majority.
Above all, according to him, the only major achievements, such as the tracks around the tramway, authorized by Luxtram, do not originate from the municipality, but from the State. Just like the Viaduct footbridge, under the authority of the Ponts et Chaussées. In fact, according to the municipal opposition councillor, “the political majority has not understood the need for a coherent infrastructure”. The mobility alderman is doing his best, but he does not have the necessary political support among his majority”. Or, according to François Benoy, “to have good results, this must be a priority”. And know how to demonstrate “political courage”.
Criticisms that the alderman has little taste for mobility. “On the territory of the City, nothing is done without the agreement of the City. The tramway is a joint project. This has nothing to do with the question of whether it is the City or the State”, assures the one who recalls that, before him, the Gréngs occupied the same position for 12 years, without doing better. . “Mobility has no political color”, he judges.
Priority vs long time
As for the political majority in the City, it would have evolved in the right direction, he is convinced: “At the level of the college of aldermen, I have nevertheless felt in recent years an acceptance to do more for the bicycle . Everyone agrees that the more the network is organised, the more people will use bicycles in the city”.
It sometimes takes a year and a half to do just 300 or 500 meters of cycle paths.
If, for François Benoy, because of demographic pressure, “it is a priority to put on the bike now”, Patrick Goldschmidt wants to be pragmatic and is part of a progressive process, step by step. In fact, the procedures can take a long time: “It sometimes takes a year and a half to make only 300 or 500 meters of cycle paths”.
And the alderman must take into account all aspects of mobility, which sometimes come into conflict. “I’m not just the alderman for cyclists. The alderman for mobility is also pedestrians, buses. Or city buses carry more than 600,000 people a week. This is in no way comparable with the number of bicycles”, observes Patrick Goldschmidt. Which simply sums up: “It’s not always easy”.
Autosolism reigns
Especially since the car still seems to crush the competition. Luxembourg-city is a maximum of 170,000 motorized entries per day. It is also 55,000 residential vignettes. “It’s up to us to show the alternatives for going into town,” explains Patrick Goldschmidt, who wants people to avoid the car, but without penalizing them and focusing on acceptability. “It’s like the game of musical chairs, you can’t remove everything at the same time”, he illustrates. Natural constraints will accumulate anyway, wants to believe the one for whom “the future is not the individual car”.
One certainty: the demand for mobility will increase drastically in the short term in the country – by 40% by 2035, predicting the Ministry of Mobility. But solo driving still reigns supreme, with an average of 1.2 people per car. Mentalities – and infrastructures – must therefore change, and quickly, before the situation becomes untenable.
This article was written for the Paperjam Green newsletter, the monthly meeting to follow the news on the environment, climate, mobility, CSR and green finance.
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