ETC 2024 Social Events, Technical Visits & Tours

Many thanks to SNCB, Infrabel and lantis for all their support.

Pre-Conference Drinks - Tuesday 17 September

University of Antwerp: 1830-2000hrs

Join us for informal drinks at the University on the Tuesday before the conference officially opens. Collect your registration pack in advance and avoid the crowds on Wednesday morning.

Urban Logistics Bike Tour Antwerp - Wednesday 18 September

Meet at the registration desk in Building R at 1750 to leave the University at 1800, or meet outside Antwerp Central Railway Station at the Starbucks Terrace to join us on a bike trip around the beautiful city of Antwerp.

Limited to 26 places

Finishes: 1915

Cost £21/€25 (Non-returnable)

To book, please contact sabrina.winter@aetransport.org

Mobility Walking Tour Antwerp - Wednesday 18 September

Leaving the University at 1815hrs. The tour will be 50 minutes duration with 20 minutes of walking.

Finishes: 1915

https://maps.app.goo.gl/FR5yxxvXG4cRx4hw5

Wander with us through the historical center of a growing city that strives to stay liveable, accessible and safe for everyone. We will show you how the space in our streets is being redesigned at human scale and how new policies make this possible. With a beautiful view of the river Scheldt and the iconic medieval fortress ‘het Steen’, we will explain how we leverage different mobility modes to create a modal shift. This is also where we look at the big picture; how Antwerp will expand its river crossings and restructure the ring road creating large new parks. If you like history as much as mobility, this is for you.

Please note that unfortunately the route is not wheelchair friendly due to cobbled streets and stairs.

The tour will consist of four stops:

1. A city designed at human scale Pt 1 (stop at University of Antwerp´s inner square, Hof van Liere)
2. • Current streets, residential streets and pedestrian areas
   • Residential streets (and their design - Prinsstraat, a view of a street before it has been rebuild)
   • Restrictive zones for shared electric scooters (no park zones and slow speed zones) 
   • Parking restrictions in the inner city (only for locals, since last year) 

    2. A city designed at human scale Pt 2 (Stop at Lange Koepoortstraat & Zirckstraat) 

2. • Executed residential street (Lange Koepoortstraat)
   • Quick temporary solutions (Zirckstraat, paint and concrete jerseys) 
   • Pedestrian programme & Slow Routes 
   • Oldest house with wooden front 1546 - Stoelstraat 

3. The challenge of increased amount of traffic. (Stop at Willem Ogiersplaats for view from the staircase)

3. • Het Steen as important spot for tourist and different mobility modes. Project SPINE & Slimme Schakels
   • Plans for het Steenplein and Scheldekaaien. Recreational zone, connection to the Schelde. 
   • Verdiepte Kaaiweg (tunnel),  discussion of future plans and the different perspectives 
   • Drop zones for shared mobility 
   • Velo system, cyclist & cycling network  

4. A bigger picture of a city near the Schelde (Stop at Wandelterras)

4. • Explanation of different river crossings (tunnels and cycling bridge)
   • Ferry and Waterbus
   • Grote Verbinding - Construction site of the century (restructuring the ring of Antwerp)

Civic Reception - Wednesday 18 September

Many thanks to the City of Antwerp for co-hosting this event

Het Steen (Limited numbers available): 1900-2000hrs

This year, a Civic Reception will be jointly hosted by AET and the City of Antwerp at the historic venue of Het Steen. Het Steen is a medieval fortress and boasts the accolade of being the oldest building in the city. Sitting on the bank of the river Scheldt next to the city’s busy cruise terminals, it now houses an exhibition on the history of Antwerp.

Address:

Cruise Terminal Het Steen. Steenplein 1, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

To book, please contact sabrina.winter@aetransport.org.

https://visit.antwerpen.be/het-steen

ETC Running Club - Thursday 19 September

0700 Start (Conference sessions begin at 9am)

We have a fantastic 5km jogging loop planned around Antwerp for those wanting to get out and see a bit more of the City but don't have the time to dedicate longer to sightseeing. The run takes in the old and new sights and is a great place to meet old and new friends. 

Please note that this is a peer-led event where the organisers have no official qualifications but enjoy the company of others whilst running. Participation in this event is at the participants own risk.
Duration: 40-50mins  
Meet: Outside the front of the conference centre on Lange Winkelstraat (https://maps.app.goo.gl/2tzS7o1agkSEHHLf8)

Organiser: Oliver Charlesworth (oliver.charlesworth@bentley.com)

Route: https://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/6036171766/ (anti-clockwise)

Conference Dinner at the Horta - Thursday 19 September

Grand Café Horta & Art Nouveau Hall (grandcafehorta.be): 1945-2215 hrs (starting with Drinks Reception at 1945 hrs)

Horta has been selected to host the ever-popular Thursday evening Conference Dinner. Opened in 2000 in the bustling heart of Antwerp, Horta consists of a modern Grand Café and an awe-inspiring Art Nouveau Hall, decorated with iron trusses by renowned Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta.

Address: Hopland 2, 2000 Antwerpen.

Dietary restrictions must be notified in writing to sabrina.winter@aetransport.org by in advance.

Cash bar available after 2215hrs.

Antwerp Central Railway Station Visit - Friday 20 September 

Our thanks go out to SNCB and Infrabel for their help in making this visit possible.

Please assemble at the Reception Desk in Building R for a departure at 1245

Finishes: 1700

The tour starts at Antwerp Berchem station, with a visit of one Belgium’s biggest rail signpost hubs. After a technical explanation of how rail signposting works and the tools used, the group moves to Antwerp Central station, for an explanation of the history and functionality of the historical station and its current-day use.

Oosterweel Connection Antwerp Visit - Friday 20 September

Our thanks go out to Lantis for their help in making this visit possible.

Please assemble at the Reception Desk in Building R for a departure at 1330

Finishes: 1700

The excursion takes place at the new viewpoint created for the Oosterweel works, which is Belgium’s largest highway project of the last 50 years, closing the Antwerp northern ringway. The project involves road but also public transport, bike and pedestrian sub-projects, and is meant to strongly reduce congestion and its side-effects, and to ensure a good accessibility of Antwerp and its seaport.

ETC 2025 Saturday Technical Tour - feasibility research at ETC2024

For this year's conference, the first of two years in Antwerp, we wanted to provide a technical tour on the Saturday after the conference to look at some local transport policies put into practice.  Due to the constrained availability and high cost of chartering a bus for this purpose, we decided in July not to proceed; that is why you have not heard anything further. 

We would still like to provide a Saturday technical tour at next year's conference.  Keith Homer of Training for Transportation Professionals, the logistical organisers of ETC2024, will research the feasibility of conducting the technical tour by public transport - local buses and trams and inter-city trains - on Saturday 21st September; this research trip will end in Brussels city centre in the early evening, of course with the option to return to Antwerp by bus or train.  Any ETC delegate is welcome to join him on this research trip, starting at the MAS museum in the city's old port area [ About the MAS | Museum MAS ], meeting at 10am for a 10.30 departure. 

The itinerary will take in the Port of Antwerp insofar as public transport access is possible, Ghent city centre and the Rinkkaai sustainable urban regeneration neighbourhood, and Brussels city centre for the Metro Line 3 project [open day visit possible on Sunday 22nd].  Delegates will need to pay for their own city and inter-city travel - the estimated cost of tickets is €50 or less. 

Interested?  Email to: KeithHomer@tftp-training.co.uk before 1800 on Friday 20th September. 

ETC 2024 Notes for Participants 

Information for all participants of the European Transport Conference