Much attention is given to road safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users. But as Belgium pushes ahead with infrastructure improvements for these forms of mobility, less attention is paid to the needs of walkers.
In light of this omission, regional walking promotion associations Tous-à-Pied (Wallonia), Voetgangersbeweging (Flanders) and Walk (Brussels) launched the first National Pedestrian Barometer on Sunday, in collaboration with FPS Mobility and Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet.
The large-scale survey aims to better understand the needs of pedestrians in Belgium by gathering their views on local policies that aim to help them.
For the three associations, it is high time that closer attention is paid to walkers, who represent the largest mobility group in Belgium – indeed, one that includes almost everybody at some point in the day. “The mobility debate often forgets the situation of pedestrians, while the infrastructure for them is under pressure,” Voetgangersbeweging remarked.
Related News
- Over half of Belgian workers overweight and don't exercise enough
- The most exciting hiking trails in Belgium
The survey will assess the quality of walking in Belgian cities and municipalities. Safety, comfort, pedestrian habits, infrastructure and the importance that localities give to walkers are among the issues addressed.
“We all walk every day but paradoxically we have very little data on the needs of pedestrians,” George Gilkinet points out. “Based on the information collected by the survey, we will be able to adapt our policies to the real needs of people who walk.”
The survey can be completed until 30 June here. Each walker has the possibility to answer several times, in connection with the different municipalities they visit every day. The results are expected in October 2023.
