Cycling policy

Ghent has long since prioritised cycling as a mode of transport, with the implementation of a bicycle plan in 1993, showcasing its early support for sustainable transport. However, it wasn't until the circulation plan, part of the Mobility plan Ghent 2030, was implemented in 2017 that cycling truly skyrocketed. The city boasts a modal split of 34% for cyclists, a striking increase from 22% since 2012.

Circulation plan

When traffic counters revealed that nearly 40% of motorised traffic in the city centre of Ghent consisted of through traffic, the city decided to take action. In 2017, a circulation plan was implemented that prevents through traffic from entering the city centre. The city centre was divided into six zones between which car travel became impossible without using the inner ring. Ghent reclaimed public spaces for its residents, resulting in a more accessible, liveable and safer urban environment. 

Bicycle infrastructure

The city's cycling infrastructure is expansive, at 506 km, with 181 km added since 2010. Key elements include 17,1 km of bicycle streets and 63 bicycle bridges and underpasses. Ghent pioneered with the first-ever bicycle street in Belgium. Cyclists hold absolute priority in these streets and speed is limited to 30 km/h. 

The city of Ghent developed a regional cycling network that covers the entire city. The network is signposted and aligned with existing cycling highways and networks in Flanders. This network forms the basis for initiating new and upgrading existing bicycle infrastructure, without forgetting the other streets in Ghent. 

Bicycle parking

Ghent offers 5 public covered bicycle parking facilities in the centre of the city, providing a total capacity of 1,700 parking spaces. Residents and visitors can park their bikes free of charge. Ghentians also have the option to rent bicycle parking spaces in 10 neighbourhood bicycle parking facilities, secured with a personal badge for access. 

Ghent’s 25 neighbourhoods are structurally screened to determine where new bicycle parking spaces can be created on public domain. The 100m-standard ensures that every resident is able to find a safe bike parking spot within just 100 meters from home. Citizens help to identify the optimal locations for bicycle parking. Between 2015 and 2023, this resulted in about 8.500 additional bicycle parking spaces. In 2023, a new round of neighbourhoord screening began, with a particular focus on parking spaces for oversized bicycles, aiming for a total share of 10%. 

Ghent also experiments with children’s bicycle racks and flexparking, shared parking spaces for bikes and motorised vehicles. 

Shared mobility

Ghent's commitment to optimal space usage and sustainability also extends to shared mobility. With four sharing providers, Ghent offers shared bicycles for every occasion: 263 Blue-Bikes for bridging the distance between train station and the end destination, 550 hub-based Donkey Republic bikes, 400 electric Bolt bikes, 650 electric bikes provided by Dott and 20 cargo bikes provided by its subcontractor BAQME. The shared bikes are strategically placed in the city centre as well as in the suburbs.

The Cycling Embassy

The city's commitment of promoting bicycle culture is further bolstered by the Cycling Embassy of Ghent. This non-profit organisation was founded in 2017 by the City of Ghent together with Ghent’s higher education institutes. The mission of The Cycling Embassy of Ghent is to promote cycling and cycling culture through service. The organisation does this by providing a wide range of bicycle services: rentals, parking, repairs, lessons and coaching. Additionally, they drive innovation through various projects. 

More information 

Read up on the mobility measures the city of Ghent has taken in the last 10 years in this presentation.