2017 news outlook for everyday cyclists in Luxembourg

LVI infrastructure seminar

The event for planners was covered on Twitter with an extensive preview by @luxembourgize

A lot of content has been tweeted under hashtag #LVIinfraseminar, that will not be duplicated here. Please refer to specific Luxembourgize! blog post. The account in latest newsletter of that event was rather short in comparison, but contains the detail information that discussion about border stones height of sidewalks was a topic, as well as maintenance works of existing cycle paths.

A new seminar has been announced for February 28th, 2017 with title „Plaz fir Vëlosfuerer a Foussgänger - Kommunale Infrastrukturen für Radfahrer und Fußgänger“ (translating “Space for cycling and walking people — local infrastructures for cyclists and pedestrians”). Please refer to LVI website for more.

LVI met minister in charge of transport infrastructure

German project probably gave inspiration: over 100km long and 4m wide, the RS1 project will have service stations and guaranteed winter maintenance

LVI insisted on the systematic creation of fast and direct cycling links for everyday use in & outside urban centers in whole country of Luxembourg.

The minister replied that considering current infra state in Luxembourg, priority should be given to completion of inner-cities cycling networks, as well as to guarantee barrier-free infra. He therefore doesn’t consider “Radschnellwege” (can approximately translated with “fast cycle paths”) as main priority. The minister declared that for the planned everyday cycling routes between cities and agglomerations, e.g. between Bettembourg and Cloche d’Or, focus will be on making them as direct as possible.

Avenue de la liberté & Pont Adolphe

LVI and minister also talked about works around LuxTram project, which will bring up new cycle paths in the city of Luxembourg.

No, it had not. MCA himself reacted on Twitter

Well, there isn’t any

The relativity of “final”

Specifically asked, the minister told LVI that cycling plans for Avenue de la Liberté are still being elaborated.

(some sarcasm)

A climb of maximum 6% has been guaranteed to LVI for access ramps by Ponts&Chaussées Administration engineer in charge of project

LVI was not explicitly in favor of this solution, stating that it would have been better to have cycling people on same street level as motorized traffic

The minister announced that the new suspended bridge under the Pont Adolphe is scheduled to be opened in Fall 2017.

Project of Neudorf Direct Bridge

Saga of #NeudorfDirectBridge is not over, the idea of an active mobility link between Cents and Kirchberg lives on

In 2016, LVI started a petition to gain support for #NeudorfDirectBridge

In meeting with LVI,the minister underlined that bringing #NeudorfDirectBridge concept to reality would be useful, but he referred to competency of City of Luxembourg in that matter.

The high grounds of Kirchberg (urban center with work places) and Cents (habitations) are topographically separated by Neudorf valley. This makes it hard for active mobility to develop and generates unnecessary motorized traffic for a really short distance

On their side, city officials confirmed to LVI that the project for a pedestrian and bicycle bridge between Cents and Kirchberg is still on the political agenda and new studies and discussions about alternatives to the existing concept are currently on their way.

Taking your bike on a journey in TGV

Minister Bausch announced to LVI that taking a bike with you on french high speed train will be discussed on EU-level in a near future.

Vennbahn & #PC21Lux

The Ponts&Chaussées Administration is currently analyzing 4 options on how to connect the #Vennbahn with the #PC21Lux national cycle path network in Wilwerwiltz.

Dommeldange and Walferdange (#PC1Lux — #PC15Lux) are just a segment of that project, but an important one!

These places were never planned for bicycles. Today they are a big deterrent to everyday cycling, as distances are not the problem here (safety among hoards of cars is)

The #PC3Lux has a high touristic value, but is of no help for the everyday cyclist in south of Luxembourg

LVI finally adressed with minister state of works on several projects related to extension of national cycling path network. LVI insisted on necessity to create better connections between Dommeldange and Walferdange (#PC1Lux — #PC15Lux), between Polfermillen and Sandweiler (#PC27Lux) and between Hoesdorf and Bettel (#PC3Lux).

About signs

LVI advocates that mandatory use of bicycle paths should be abolished, letting cycling people choose if they want to ride their bike on the road or on the cycling path. In LVI’s experience, few cyclists will deliberately use the road if available cycling infra is of good quality.

Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte

This used to be the bidirectional and shared with pedestrians/cyclists path along Centre Pescatore, between Rond-Point Schuman and south sidewalk of “Roud Breck” (Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte) in City of Luxembourg. The ancient wall on the left has been moved and this path will be larger than before at reopening

Now enlarged south sidewalk (“trottoir sud”) reopening on “Roud Breck” (Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte) is imminent: end of year 2016. Works on bridge still going on through 2017

Now enlarged south sidewalk’s (“trottoir sud”) reopening on “Roud Breck” (Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte) is expected to take place end of year 2016.

Direct connection Paffenthal elevator to Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte

The red line is the still missing connection, and will be built in 2017. Works in Parc Pescatore are finished.

“construction works for the direct connection between the elevator and the
Pont Grand-Duchesse Charlotte are finally about to start and will last at most one year. However, the City assured us that it will try its best to catch up some of the existing delay during the construction phase in order to open the connection during next year’s (2017) cycling season”

Veloroute 50 (V50) and car-free cities featured

In a feature about car-free cities (Paris, Brussels, Munich), LVI raises question “what about City of Luxembourg?”

The véloroute 50 is named in honor of historical figure Charles the Bold (1433–1477), Duke of Burgundy died in the battle of Nancy

Then there is an account of a group ride along the french Veloroute 50 (V50), which connects Apach (France), in the three country border at the Moselle river near Schengen (Luxembourg) with major french city Lyon. This route is still work in progress, some segments are still missing.

That´s it for this time.

Next newsletter is to be expected end of Winter in early 2017. If you appreciated this enriched Medium/Twitter summary mashup brought to you by @luxembourgize, please do not forget to Fav or RT!

Disclaimer: this blog post is not an official LVI statement. Tweets added for illustration purposes are exclusive in this summary and cannot be found in official LVI newsletter.

Please refer to LVI website.

Major anniversary in 2017, celebrating 200 years of bicycle! Translation of Minister Bausch’s (on bicycle) quote: “We only can enhance mobility by actually giving every mean of transportation the weight which corresponds to its inherent potential”