2023-08-22 17:41:00
“It’s incomprehensible,” says Géraldine, walking her dog near her home in the center of Wemmel. take them away.” “When I leave my garage, I now have to make a long detour”, sighs in turn Mireille, who lives and works in the entity north of Brussels.
Géraldine, resident of Wemmel. ©DR
For almost two months, the new traffic plan has been on everyone’s lips. At the end of June, the municipality changed the direction of traffic and installed concrete blocks in order to reduce transit traffic coming from the Ring and discourage motorists from making a shortcut through the center. Objectives and methods that are furiously similar to the Brussels Good Move plans. Even if the local councilors of this commune with Flemish facilities refuse the use of the term.
”Fewer visits, fewer customers”
In the commercial heart of the locality, the Markt now sees one of its entrances condemned by a flower box. A measure taken to cut off a transit route, but which arouses anger among local traders. “A disaster”, laments Inge, one of the traders. “We should precisely optimize access to the Markt instead of restricting it”, judge Michael, from a real estate agency, living not far from the Markt.
Michael, from a real estate agency. ©DR
“We have less traffic, fewer customers,” notes Anne bitterly, from the Lodge clothing store. “We hope they will change the situation.” Opinion shared by the neighbor at Lorca. “People don’t even know regarding it. Most customers come from other municipalities. And nothing is indicated.”
At Lodge, there is a drop in the number of customers. ©DR
Coming from Jette to shop, Joëlle, aged 73, does not hide it: “I have already thought regarding not coming because of the traffic. It’s become a maze, and that’s sad for traders.”
Joëlle, customer from Jette: “It has become a labyrinth, and it’s sad for traders.” ©DR
“Nothing is fixed”
Contacted, Alderman Vincent Jonckheere warns once morest hasty conclusions. “You have to give yourself time. We put measuring devices at sensitive points.” A first assessment is scheduled for September, and the final assessment for December. “Nothing is set in stone. We are in the evaluation phase.” Regarding the Markt, the agent wants to put things into perspective: “the square remains accessible to all in three places, compared to four before. Parking is also free.”
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“Deleting everything, no, it wouldn’t make sense.
A petition has been launched, “ once morest the mobility plan”, with already 1,470 signatures. Is going back an option, as requested by some local residents and the political group Interests Communaux? “To delete everything, no, it would not make sense. We want to prevent people from using Wemmel as a shortcut. We also receive positive reactions”, points out the alderman.
Indeed, rue Jan Vander Veken, where a filter has been placed for example, Georges shows a clear improvement: “you have to take a small detour. But that’s nothing compared to the benefits. There was too much traffic on this little street.”
A year before the elections, Good Move at a standstill, few municipalities still want to get started: here are the plans on the table (INFOGRAPHIC)
Releghem’s neighbors dispute
Majority partner, Carol Delers defends the objectives of the plan, but regrets its implementation. “Everything was put in place at the same time”, indicates the adviser speaking in a personal capacity. “We had posted signs, we warned, but that was not enough.” According to the city councilor, the Good Move “label”, attributed by some, has contributed to a polarization. Even if “the strongest reactions come from neighboring municipalities”, notes the Wemmelois.
In Releghem, a neighboring locality in the municipality of Asse, many voices are indeed raised once morest the plan and in particular the fact of returning traffic to the Rassel axis, which is often congested. “This plan creates tensions. This has a very strong impact on us”, says Eric. “Before, we took the Reekstraat and now we have to go via Rassel, which is already congested. It now takes 5 to 10 minutes more to do Releghem-Wemmel.”
Two cobblestones in the facade of his store: “Wemmel is becoming Molenbeek”
A “black spot” is singled out: the Rassel-Kaasmarkt crossroads, where the traffic light only allows vehicles to pass in dribs and drabs. On this subject, the alderman for mobility recognizes a fire problem. “But it’s the Flemish Region that manages this. We have already alerted them.” An intervention is planned… “but not before October”.
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