By 2040, 30 percent of all journeys in Flanders should be by bicycle. This is the ambition of the Flemish government, which wants to invest 300 million euros annually in its cycling policy. These investments will definitely pay off in the future, experts say. 

The Flemish government also wants an integrated cycling policy. Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA) also wants to involve her colleagues from sports, culture, and education in this. Traffic expert and media spokesperson Hajo Beeckman created a comprehensive dossier on “Cycling in Flanders” for VRT News.

Regional differences

Flemish people are also cycling more and more. Approximately 20 percent of our workweek trips are made by bike. This puts Flanders in second place in all of Europe, after the Netherlands (and before Denmark).

Yet, there are some striking differences between regions. Cycling is extremely popular in Antwerp, the Antwerp Kempen region, Bruges, and Ghent-Eeklo, and – oddly enough – least popular in Limburg, the province with the most well-developed cycling network.

In Flemish Brabant, the picture is divided. In the broader region around Leuven, cycling is more common than in the Flemish periphery around Brussels and in the west of the province.

More control

According to Patrick D’haese, bicycle manager coordinating cycling policy at the Flemish government, cycling is most popular in urban areas with dense populations, long traffic jams, and limited parking. The car, on the other hand, is more popular in regions where amenities are further away.

According to mobility expert and visiting professor at the University of Antwerp and Ghent University, Dirk Lauwers, the popularity of the bike (also fatbike or e-scooter) is detrimental to public transport. Why? Because we have more control over our travel time, and we’re not dependent on the timetable of a transport company.

Antwerp

The Province of Antwerp is clearly the cycling champion of Flanders. Nowhere in Flanders is cycling more common. By comparison, across Flanders, on average, just over one in six trips (18 percent) is made by bicycle.

Almost one in four journeys (23 percent) in the entire province of Antwerp is made by bicycle, whether it’s for schoolchildren, employees, shoppers, or recreational cyclists. People from Kempen often take the bike; the strong cycling tradition plays a role in this.

The success of cycling to work cannot be viewed separately from the rise of the electric bicycle. Almost half of all work-related bicycle trips in Antwerp are already electric. Forty-six percent of Antwerp families have an electric bike, and five percent have a speed pedelec.

Those who cycle long distances probably use the provincial cycle highways regularly. Currently, the province of Antwerp has 495 kilometers of cycle highways. In 2024, over 34 million cyclists were registered – an increase of more than 31 percent in five years.

In recent years, many city centers have opted for a car-free city center. In Mechelen, for example, the entire city center has been one continuous bicycle zone since 2019. In the 179 bicycle streets, motorized traffic must remain behind cyclists. In Lier, too, almost all streets within the ramparts have been bicycle streets since 2021.

West Flanders

After Antwerp, West Flanders is the province with the most cycling. One in five journeys in this province is made by bicycle. Twenty-four percent use the bike daily, 29 percent use it at least once a week.

Cycling is especially popular in the Bruges region. 24 percent, or one in four trips, are made by bike, perhaps because it is an urban area with shorter distances. In Bruges, with almost 28 kilometers of bicycle zones, cyclists are also given the space to cycle safely. With 390 bicycle streets, Bruges has the largest bicycle zone in the country. However, to go to work, the car remains the most popular means of transport (60 percent).

Limburg

Limburg is known as the ‘cycling province’, but compared to the rest of Flanders, Limburgers cycle the least. Only 11 percent of all journeys are made by bicycle. This is significantly lower than the Flemish average of 18.5 percent.

There is a lot of cycling in Limburg at the weekend, but on Monday morning, when the working week starts, everyone gets in the car. More than half of the rides are also shorter than five km. The average Limburg resident cycles for only 13 percent of all leisure trips. This is also lower than in all other Flemish provinces. And yet, Limburg is a ‘cycling paradise’.

Experts agree: the better the cycle paths, the more cycling will take place. The figures confirm this. Since the opening of the Kolenspoor (coal track) between Genk-Noord and As in mid-June, 85,000 cyclists have been registered, which is almost 1,000 cyclists per day.

More than 13 percent of all commuting in Limburg is currently done by bicycle; 76.8 percent of commuting in Limburg is still done by car. But according to HR services company Acerta, Limburgers also have to drive the furthest to get to work: an average of 25 km, which is 4 kilometers more than the average Flemish person. The average Belgian commutes 37 kilometers per day to and from work; nowhere else in Europe is that distance so great.

Safety

Unfortunately, there is still work to be done in terms of safety. The infrastructure also sometimes leaves much to be desired. In 2024, 77 cyclists died across Flanders, 822 were seriously injured, and 8,474 were slightly injured. It goes without saying that those numbers absolutely have to come down.