Since March 2020, the avenue Van Vollenhoven in Schaerbeek is car-free. The decision was motivated by the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 crisis. For eight months, the inhabitants of Schaerbeek took great advantage of the space. Children learned to ride bicycles and skate. Older people could walk around and enjoy social life at a safe distance. PRMs and cyclists could safely cross the park to the other side of Schaerbeek.

At the end of October, the municipality decided to turn the favorite playground for hundreds of children into a parking lot. From November 27th, there will be eighteen car parking spaces in the middle of the park. This decision goes against the majority agreement and the goals of the Brussels Region.

The park is surrounded by parking lots: anyone who comes by car can park anywhere else. As a "compromise", the municipality decided to leave part of the street free of cars. This is a frankly dangerous solution in terms of road safety. Thus, a child riding a bike or playing will find himself without any warning in a parking lot where motorists maneuver in and out.

This decision falls in the middle of the second wave of the COVID-19 crisis. The need for social distancing is still acute. Recreation is very limited, with the exception of parks and woods. It is in every respect a big mistake made against the will of the population. The people of Schaerbeek come to enjoy this avenue every day, even in the middle of autumn. It is that we need.

Sign this letter and ask the commune to reconsider this decision. Give priority to our children. Leave Van Vollenhoven Avenue without cars. Josaphat is a park, not a car park!

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