Zone 30 in all centers of Tielt: new traffic quality plan tested this summer

In October 2020, slightly more than 2000 citizens of Tielt contributed to thinking about mobility in their city through an online citizen survey. Until the summer of 2021, various consultation rounds were held with sounding board groups, residents’ panels, schools, traders and advisory bodies.

Tielt is a tangle of municipal roads and regional roads, so dialogue with various partners was necessary.

Less rapidly

Tielt’s first ambition is to slow down the speed in the centres. From this summer all cores therefore zone 30, also in Kanegem, Aarsele and Schuerskapelle. “Did you know that a cyclist or pedestrian is three times more likely to survive an accident if the car does not drive 50, but 30 km per hour?”, it sounds.

The lively terrace cut on the Markt between Bruggestraat and Ieperstraat will become permanent. The plan also provides for a wider pedestrian zone. School environments, the College site and the sports zone are gradually connected to the pedestrian zone. (Read more below the photo.)

Only the main access roads to Tielt, such as the Deken Darraslaan, Kasteelstraat, Sint-Janstraat, Felix-D’Hoopstraat, Gruuthusestraat and Bedevaartstraat, will still have a partial speed limit of 50 km/h.

More cycling zones

In the center, the cyclist will increasingly determine the pace through the design of bicycle streets and the construction of bicycle zones. In such a street, the cars must stay behind the cyclist and are not allowed to overtake them. (Read more below the photo.)

The core of Tielt between Conventieweg and the Ringlaan becomes one cycling zone. For example, Huttegemstraat, Stedemolenstraat, Wittestraat/Hollebeekstraat/Volderstraat, Oude Stationstraat/Stoktmolenstraat, Alfons de Vlamyncklaan/Julius Hostelaan and Blekerijstraat will become bicycle streets.

Dangerous traffic points, such as the crossing from Stedemolenstraat to Polenplein, will also be reconstructed.

One-way traffic

Every day, one in four vehicles only use the center of Tielt to drive through. The (heavy) through traffic passes by schools, through neighborhoods and through the village centers. Traffic circulation measures and tonnage restrictions are necessary to prevent through traffic.

This is how the Oude Pittemstraat becomes between Holde- and Stedemolenstraat one-way traffic direction Holdestraat to prevent through traffic past the schools. The Feestewegel will also become one-way at the entrance of the schools. Bedevaartstraat will become one-way traffic from the station to Dertig Zilverlingenstraat as a short loop with Gruuthusestraat. De Bek, the passage between the Europawijk and the Conventieweg, will be redesigned as a soft connection.

One-way traffic is also being introduced in Sint-Bavostraat in Kanegem and in the narrowest part of Aarselestraat in Aaarsele.

Heavy traffic

The plan provides a tonnage limitation for the whole Centre van Tielt and in the village centers of Schuerskapelle, Aarsele and Kanegem. Through heavy freight traffic (above 3.5 tons) will soon no longer be allowed on the passage between the Meulebeeksesteenweg (N399) from the railway crossing and in the Felix D’Hoopstraat (N399) from the intersection with the Ringlaan (N37) .

Through traffic in the Espestraat in Kanegem is banned.

Public transport

The city council is in intensive consultation with public transport company De Lijn to improve public transport and the stops. There will be one shortly new accessible bus stop on the Conventieweg at the Hulstplein. The old bus stop on Rameplein will be softened and greened

Every citizen of Tielt will receive an information brochure in their mailbox this summer and a digital platform will also be developed with more information about future plans.

Also look at:

Tielt wants to check trucks in the area with cameras (28/06/22).