Wallonia and Brussels lag behind Flanders in bicycle commuting to work. Of course, the terrain and the capital’s busy urban environment play a role in this.

But according to Avello, an advocacy group for cyclists in Walloon and Brussels municipalities, Wallonia and Brussels are also structurally the least bicycle-friendly regions, and it is precisely the lack of safe infrastructure that often discourages people from cycling to work.

Only 3% of Walloon workers commute

Let’s look at the numbers. Only 3% of workers in Wallonia commute to work by bike. In Brussels, that figure is 9%, and in Flanders, 17%. According to Avello – call it the French equivalent of the Flemish Fietsersbond/Cycling Union – these significant regional differences stem from the fact that Flanders has a dense and bike-friendly network of bike paths, while Wallonia is struggling to catch up, and in Brussels, only 31% of the planned bike network has been completed so far.

And it is precisely this lack of safe bike paths and the poor condition of the road surface that is preventing employees from cycling to work, says Avello. Nevertheless, measures are being taken to encourage cycling among employees, such as introducing a €0.37/km bike allowance or significantly expanding dedicated bike parking spaces.

More than 7,500 participants

To further encourage commuting by bike, Avello is supporting “I cycle to work”, an annual event organized by Cyclis Bike Lease, a Belgian company specializing in bicycle leasing for employees.

The goal is for colleagues to discover a different way to commute together today – it’s World Bicycle Day – and the initiative is not a competition but a ranking that highlights companies by the number of kilometers cycled. Once you register via the website, you enter the number of kilometers of your commute and add your employer.

Currently, more than 7,500 cyclists and 2,500 teams have already registered for today’s event. The initiative also raises funds for two charities: ‘A Bike for Everyone’ by the Flemish Fietsersbond, which supports local initiatives to help people start or resume cycling, and ‘Vélo Solidaire’, a Brussels project that helps novice cyclists get safely on the road in and around the capital.

One more thing: according to Avello, the number of cyclists in Brussels rose by 15% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous year, while that figure has stagnated in Wallonia.