The words of Minister Pascal Smet
I am delighted that Brussels has the honour of organizing the 2009 Velo-city conference.
The bicycle is one of the major focus points of my mobility policy for Brussels. 25% of all journeys carried out in the city are less than one kilometre and 60% are less than five. The potential of cyclists within our city is therefore huge.
During this parliamentary term, numerous measures have been taken to promote cycling. The creation of cycling infrastructure and a greater awareness are producing good results already: the number of journeys carried out by bike is constantly increasing. The snowball effect is underway and we now need to pick up the pace and make the city accessible to cyclists wherever possible. Organizing the Velo-city conference will help us speed up all the projects we have undertaken to make Brussels a bike-friendly city.
I would like to thank the cycling pioneers and the cycling associations for their ongoing commitment to promote cycling in the city.