La revue scientifique électronique pour les recherches sur Bruxelles / Het elektronisch wetenschappelijk tijdschrift voor onderzoek over Brussel / The e-journal for academic research on Brussels 2016 Collection générale | 2008 The (in)efficiency of trams and buses in Brussels: a fine geographical analysis L'(in)efficacité des trams et bus à Bruxelles : une analyse désagrégée (In)Efficiëntie van de trams en bussen in Brussel: een geografisch uitgesplitste analyse Xavier Courtois and Frédéric

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... uszkes Translator: Gabrielle Leyden Electronic version Summary At a time when mobility in Brussels is becoming increasingly critical from the standpoints of the environment and efficiency, this article gives a detailed and exhaustive analysis of the geography of traffic conditions affecting the trams and buses of Brussels' main mass transit network. The finely disaggregated data that we were able to obtain from the Brussels Interborough Transport Company (STIB/MIVB) enabled us to calculate and map three indicators (commercial speed, irregularity, and lost time) that make it possible to identify the network's problem spots. The figures show that, in the current state of affairs, fewer than a third of the city's tram line segments meet the commercial speed performance levels that they are expected to achieve under STIB/ MIVB's new management contract. The problem spots, which are found primarily but not solely in the first urban ring (from Saint-Gilles to Schaerbeek, via Ixelles), stem basically from a mixture of roads and public areas that are narrow and/or heavily used by cars, inappropriate traffic light management, and political stalemates that make it impossible to get around the first three factors. In this framework, the regional mobility and sustainable development plans can scarcely be achieved. Xavier Courtois, is a geographer and researcher at Brussels Free University's Environmental Management and Spatial Planning Institute (ULB-IGEAT, Brussels). His final thesis, entitled "Géographie de la vitesse commerciale sur le réseau de la STIB", dealt with the geography of performance in Brussels's major mass transport network. His current research focuses on social inequality in connection with the current processes of re-metropolisation. Frédéric Dobruszkes has a PhD in geography and is a senior lecturer at ULBs Environmental Management and Spatial Planning Institute (ULB-IGEAT). He is currently carrying out postdoctoral research into European cities' accessibility by air under the aegis of the Prospective Research for Brussels programme. His article entitled "Eléments pour une géographie sociale de la contestation des nuisances aériennes à Bruxelles" (on the social geography of opposition to noise from air traffic in Brussels) was published in issue 2008/1 of Espace, Populations, Sociétés. They published "De l'intérêt des SAE pour l'analyse géographique des performances du transport collectif : aspects méthodologiques et application à Bruxelles", Recherche, Transports et Sécurité 98, pp. 39-51. the e-journal for academic research on Brussels www.brusselsstudies.be Issue 20, 27 June 2008 Brussels Studies is published thanks to the support of the ISRIB (Institute for the encouragement of Scientific Research and Innovation of Brussels -Brussels-Capital Region) Contacts : Xavier Courtois, 02/650.50.71 -xavier.courtois@ulb.ac.be Frédéric Dobruszkes, 02/650.50.75frederic.dobruszkes@ulb. .ac.be Michel Hubert (ed. in chief), 02/211 78 53 -0485/41 67 64 -hubert@fusl.ac.be 1 1 The market share of mass transport was supposed to rise from 34 to 38% and that of the bicycle from 1 to 4%. These market shares were computed from the number of trips taken. 2 Measured in vehicle-km.