Ixelles: The Chaussée d'Ixelles passes at 20km / h

After long work, it was inaugurated this Saturday and is reopened to traffic.

This is a site that has been the subject of much ink since a few months, both for its inaccessibility and for businesses that have suffered a lot from seeing their street closed for several months or for motorists who were stuck in congested traffic.

Fortunately, all this is more than a bad memory since the Chaussée d'Ixelles was inaugurated this Saturday morning and officially reopened to the circulation, in the presence of Pascal Smet (SP.A), the Minister of the Mobility, Dominique Dufourny, the mayor and many aldermen and councilors.

Finally, not all traffic, since the road will remain closed to motorists between 7 am and 19h, every day of the week. Indeed, the Chaussée d'Ixelles between the Porte de Namur and Place Fernand Cocq (which will be redeveloped after the summer) is now a so-called "calm" zone, that is to say that day only pedestrians, cyclists and buses are allowed, all under a speed limit of 20km / h.

The second largest shopping street in Brussels and its 200 stores will benefit from a more convivial setting. Starting next November, trees will be planted to provide nearly 150% more greening than what the roadway knew before the work. Street furniture should also be installed and a final layer should cover the center of the street.

However, in this period of pay and on the eve of the leave of the building, it was essential to return this street to the tradesmen and the inhabitants of the district. And from this Sunday on, the buses will finally be able to cover it.

In terms of mobility, cars will no longer have access to the Chaussée d'Ixelles during the day, and a new mobility plan has emerged. to distribute traffic in the neighborhood without clogging the small streets. "For this, we wanted to reduce transit traffic entering the area and an observatory of the area will be set up in collaboration with the Region to conduct counting, handle complaints and propose adaptations, the case. appropriate, "explains Caroline Désir (PS), alderman of Mobility

As a reminder, the area around the Chaussée d'Ixelles pbades in zone 30. Radars will be installed at first in order to verify the respect of these new speed limits. If the behavior of motorists does not change, physical amenities will be considered.

But if this morning, all those present congratulated themselves on the opening of the shopping street, Ecolo Ixelles believes that many shadows remain board. For Audrey Lhoest, Ecolo leader at the communal council, "the majority did not hear the neighborhood committees and local residents in their repeated demands for an environment that includes trees, green spaces, recreation areas and parks. benches, or facilities for children. " Indeed, 16 trees had to be cut down during the works but others, more numerous, will be planted in November.

The Greens denounce also the postponement of the traffic in the vicinity of the road of Ixelles and the fears of the residents to see the return of the continuation of the work. Yet the mayor was quiet this Saturday, ensuring he responded to many requests from local residents, including appease the traffic.