Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Mechelen will raise parking fees in the centre, open a 240-space outer lot, expand the M-shuttle to 6 days, and invest in 50 km of sidewalks and 35 km of bike paths.
As VRT News reported, parking in Mechelen will become more expensive next year as the city tries to limit car traffic in the centre. Rates will rise in the busy core, including the Grote Markt and the area around the cathedral.
Parking at Zandpoortvest will also become more costly, and the free weekend rule will end. On-street parking fees will increase from February 2026. The city will open a new free car park with 240 spaces on the outskirts and will run the free shuttle bus more often to keep cars away from the centre.
“People with a resident card or employee card do not have to worry.”
Alexander Vandersmissen, Alderman for Mobility (For Mechelen).
What changes are coming to parking, M-Shuttle, and bike paths in Mechelen?
Mechelen also wants to divide cars more evenly across its parking sites. Students will be able to buy a parking pass for Bruul.
“People with a resident or employee parking card don’t have to worry about this,”
says Vandersmissen.
The city will rename its Shopping Shuttle the M-shuttle and expand its schedule. The shuttle will run 6 days a week instead of 3. Drivers can park for free at Tangent’s peripheral parking lot and take the shuttle to the Grote Markt in about 5 minutes. The stop at the edge of the parking lot will be upgraded with public toilets, a drinks machine, a covered waiting area, and new bicycle parking.
Mechelen will also invest in walking and cycling infrastructure. The city plans to renovate or build 50 kilometres of sidewalks and 35 kilometres of bike paths across the municipality. Officials say the work will make it easier to leave cars at the edge of town, promote cycling and walking, and improve access to the city centre.
“We want to make our city’s 12 neighbourhoods more accessible,”
says Alderman for Public Works Patrick Princen (For Mechelen).
“We already made significant progress during the previous legislative term, and we want to do that again now,”
adds Vandersmissen.
“We want to renovate or construct 5 kilometres of road each year. That’s going to be a major undertaking. We’ll primarily be working on the access roads, since that’s where most cyclists pass.”
Mechelen has been improving traffic and transport in the city for years. In the early 2000s, the city expanded pedestrian zones and promoted cycling to reduce congestion in the historic centre. By 2015, new parking rules and shuttle services were introduced to control car flow.
