Open letter to Elke Van Den Brandt: Sundays Without Cars this Summer in Brussels

Dear Elke Van Den Brandt,

We, citizens of Brussels, kindly ask you to make Sunday Without Cars every Sunday at least till the end of September.

The first reason for this request is that with the easing of the lockdown, traffic has been picking back up outside of the city center and the streets are no longer safe and welcoming for soft mobility. Biking families, kids but also all those that try to bike for the first time in the city don’t feel safe and end up taking their car back. Sundays without cars will give many people the opportunity to experience the city from the comfort of a bike saddle without stress.

The second reason to ask for this, is that we need to prepare. The holidays are coming up and many people will be staying home, and there is a high chance of the virus coming back after the summer. Carfree streets every Sunday will enable people to plan and organise (holiday) activities in front of their front door. Neighbors will meet again and it will strengthen our local communities all around Brussels.

Brussels has already successfully organised Sundays without cars in the past. Its residents and visitors already know how it works and how it positively impacted their wellbeing. We simply ask you to make every Sunday carfree and thus carefree, like it is already the case in many parts of Paris, at least until the end of the summer.

So dear Elke, as minister for the mobility in Brussels, together with your colleagues, can you make this happen? This is about the wellbeing and the health of all citizens in Brussels, and about giving us the space to recreate community and local resilience so that when the next lockdown happens, we will be more able to help and support each other.

Thank you for your consideration and your answer. Please do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you make this happen.