Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Alderman Steve Claeys (Vilvoorde) plans one-way car traffic on Kerklaan towards Schaarbeeklei, adding 2 bike paths under the railway bridge. Trucks stay banned. The works align with a larger Mechelen project.
Alderman Claeys has a new plan for Mechelen Kerklaan. He thinks the road is wide enough to have cars going in one direction and safe bike paths. His idea is to only allow cars to travel towards Schaarbeeklei, which would create space for 2 bike paths under the railway bridge. Cars would only be able to travel in one direction on Kerklaan.
He stated that cyclists would also have an easy and safe mode of traveling as there would be 2 separated bike lanes underneath the railway bridge. The new plan seeks to ensure that motorists will still get to utilize the road and that it’s safer for the cyclists. Claeys hopes this will fix the problems caused by the earlier changes while still making it easier for people to bike.
Is Mechelen’s new Kerklaan plan the fix cyclists need?
According to Alderman Steve Claeys, the changes to Kerklaan will make it safer and more comfortable for cyclists. The plan includes making changes to the road and improving the bike paths. He said that the work will start soon.
Claeys mentioned that these changes were needed because the area was already going to be worked on, so they decided to do the changes at the same time. The changes to Kerklaan will be part of a larger project that is already planned.
According to officials, trucks will still not be allowed on Kerklaan. This keeps the road safe for cyclists and people walking. Signs will be changed to show everyone how the traffic is different now.
There will be new lines painted on the road and new ways to get from the 3 Fonteinen site to the bike bridge over the canal in Mechelen. They mentioned that these changes make it easier and safer for cyclists to get around.
The city of Vilvoorde closed off Kerklaan at the railway bridge 2 years ago to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians. The idea was to reduce car traffic and create more space for people walking and biking.
The plan didn’t work as expected. Instead of reducing traffic, it caused drivers to take detours through other streets, creating more traffic jams on Vilvoordelaan. Many residents were unhappy because the change didn’t improve their daily lives or the traffic flow in the area.
