New cycling boulevards in Luxembourg will put the bike before the car

The idea behind the city’s new cycling infrastructure reshuffle is to allow the two-wheelers to take centre stage in urban traffic

Yesterday, officials in the city of Luxembourg announced seven new priority cycling boulevards. This means that in those streets, bikes will be more privileged than motor vehicles. The move follows a pilot project that has been running in the Grand Duchy capital since 2021 and is a logical step forward towards breaking the Luxembourgish car dependency.

At the same time, the cycling boulevards are an interesting case study of how to shift the local traffic laws and promote change, without the need for additional infrastructure. 

Cyclists – reclaiming the streets and pushing cars away

The first cycling boulevards in Luxembourg city were opened in March 2021 on Rue de Bragance, Rue Laurent Ménager and Rue de Pulvermühl – three strategic thoroughfares linking the city's main cycling routes. According to a statement by the city, the number of cyclists using these streets has been growing.

Now, they are trying to capitalise on that success and gear the capital for the wider adoption of sustainable modes of transport.

Here is how the cycling boulevards work:

On these streets, people riding bikes have priority over any motorised vehicles. They can use the full width of the lane and cannot be passed. At the same time, the maximum speed limit is 30 kilometres per hour.

The areas where these rules take effect are clearly denominated by signage on the ground and on the street indicating the beginning and end of a cycling boulevard. Importantly, though, people riding bikes will have to allow cars to pass them when they leave one of the new zones.

Furthermore, the city will be expanding its cycling traffic light system – the blinking orange light. According to officials, the idea behind having a traffic system solely for cyclists came about as a way to reduce idle time for travellers and to develop a more efficient and safe concept for them to use the crossing.

Decoupling cycling lights from car traffic lights has been a pilot project since 2020 and now authorities have decided to expand it to cover even more parts of the city.