Flanders’ 2,623 km of Deadly Bike Lanes Exposed

More than a quarter of the bicycle lanes along Flanders’ regional roads remain dangerous, poorly separated strips where cyclists ride directly alongside fast-moving traffic. A new municipal-level analysis by HLN has found that 2,623 kilometres of these lanes - 26 percent of the total - still qualify as moordstrookjes, the Flemish term for murder strips. The figures, drawn from a parliamentary question by Groen MP Bogdan Vanden Berghe to Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA), reveal stark differences between municipalities: only 9 of them score perfectly, with no unsafe lanes along their regional roads.

What Counts as a ‘Murder Strip’?

A moordstrookje is a narrow cycle lane separated from car traffic by little more than a dashed line, forcing cyclists to ride beside vehicles moving at high speed. The term was voted Word of the Year in Flanders in 2018, reflecting public alarm over the design. Since 2022, stricter guidelines - the Fietsvademecum issued by the Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer - require a width of 2 metres for one-way bike paths and 3 metres for two-way paths, up from the earlier 1.5-metre standard, as Fietsersbond notes.

Where the Danger Concentrates

The problem is unevenly spread. According to VRT NWS, Limburg has proportionally the most dangerous lanes (30 percent), followed by East Flanders (29 percent), West Flanders and Flemish Brabant (24 percent each), and Antwerp (21 percent). Among central cities, Genk fares best with just 6 percent, while Ghent is the worst performer at 34 percent.

At the municipal level, the outliers are striking. In Wezembeek-Oppem, on the edge of Brussels, 95 percent of bike lanes along regional roads are murder strips. Riemst in Limburg follows at 73 percent, and Kraainem at 72 percent. In total, 27 municipalities have more than half of their regional-road bike lanes failing minimum safety standards. Another 6 municipalities also score zero - but only because no regional roads run through them.

A Political Standoff Over Responsibility

The figures have reignited a dispute over who bears responsibility for the region’s cycling safety. “Many cities and local authorities invest in cycling safety, but the Flemish government fails on its own roads,” Vanden Berghe said, arguing that the region’s plans lack clear deadlines, measurable interim targets, and guarantees. He has called for temporary measures - such as concrete blocks and lower speed limits - while permanent reconstruction awaits.

Minister De Ridder rejects the criticism, pointing to rising investment. “Where roughly 80 million euros a year used to go to cycling infrastructure, we are now around 300 million euros a year. These are record investments, year after year,” she said, adding that Flanders now ranks as Europe’s second cycling region after the Netherlands. She also cautioned against demanding separated paths everywhere. “We must not go along with the goal of building separated bike paths always and everywhere. That is unworkable,” she said, citing space constraints in built-up areas.

The Fietsersbond disputes both the budget claim and the framing. “We see that the 300 million euro figure is not being achieved on the ground,” spokesperson Wies Callens said, noting that the money also funds cycle highways, bridges, and tunnels rather than dangerous roadside strips alone. On the budget, he cited the Court of Audit’s figure of 229 million euros for 2026. The organisation also urged nuance: some lanes counted as murder strips were simply built to older, looser standards. “The point remains that for an ordinary cyclist, there are simply a great many bike paths along regional roads that are too narrow, too close to roads where people drive too fast, and very unsafe,” Callens said.

Why the Numbers Keep Rising

Ironically, the count of unsafe lanes can rise even as safety improves, because the definition has tightened. A 2023 analysis found that only 5.4 percent of one-way bike paths met the newer norms, and 11.4 percent of two-way paths did. When Groen first published the figures in July 2025, it cited 2,459 kilometres and 34 percent; the updated 2026 count is 2,623 kilometres but 26 percent, as new construction and changing denominators shifted the picture.

The analysis also covers only existing bike lanes. Regional roads with no bike lane at all were excluded, sometimes for legitimate reasons such as a 30 km/h zone, a cycling ban, or a separated two-way path on both sides.

What to Watch

Flanders has committed substantial sums to cycling, but the gap between investment announcements and on-the-ground safety remains the central point of contention. Cyclists’ groups warn that without a transparent priority list, dangerous segments can linger for years - sometimes delayed by shifting local coalitions. The coming test will be whether the region’s long-term investment programme delivers measurable reductions in the most dangerous stretches, or whether the murder strips persist despite record budgets.