Article: Free Buses Transform Belgian City from Grey to Green.(Hasselt, Belgium)(Brief Article)

Four years after introducing free buses and converting its main highway into a walkway and bikeway, Hasselt, Belgium, is basking in its reputation as a world leader in sensible transportation.

In 1996, Hasselt's city council decided that the traffic congestion problems faced by its 68,000 residents and 200,000 commuters would not be solved by building more roads. Besides, the costs would be prohibitive.

Instead, the councillors chose to put their money and their future in non-car transport options.

They replaced the ring road that surrounded the city centre with a "green boulevard" of trees, new cycling trails and pedestrian walkways. And they ...

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