Editing Hasselt (section)

==Transport==
===Road===
[[File:Albertkanaal.jpg|thumb|right|[[Albert Canal]] near Hasselt]]
Hasselt lies at the junction of important traffic arteries from several directions. The most important motorways are the [[European route E313]] ([[Antwerp]]-[[Liège]]) and the [[European route E314]] ([[Brussels]]-[[Aachen]]). The old town of Hasselt is enclosed by 2 [[ring road]]s. The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city center and main residential areas. The inner ring road, the ''Green Boulevard'', serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center, which is almost entirely a pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries to [[Tongeren]], [[Sint-Truiden]], [[Genk]], and [[Diest]].

=== Nearby airports ===
The city lies within approximately an hour's drive from the airports of [[Brussels Airport|Brussels]], [[Liège Airport|Liège]], [[Antwerp Airport|Antwerp]], [[Charleroi Airport|Charleroi]], [[Eindhoven Airport|Eindhoven]], [[Maastricht Aachen Airport|Maastricht]], [[Cologne Bonn Airport|Cologne/Bonn]], and [[Düsseldorf Airport|Düsseldorf]]. Within a three-hour radius, the major hubs of [[Charles de Gaulle Airport|Paris]], [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol|Amsterdam]] and [[Frankfurt Airport|Frankfurt]] can be reached. Small private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself, on the airfield of [[Kiewit]]. Some of these airports have direct public transport links via either train or intercity bus lines, like [[FlixBus|Flixbus]].

===Bus===
[[File:Hasselt - Station Hasselt.jpg|thumb|right|Hasselt railway station. All the city's local [[zero-fare]] buses, as well as regional buses and trains depart from here.]]
Hasselt introduced a [[zero-fare]] policy for all public buses in 1997. By 2006, the usage of public transport had increased by 800–900% compared to pre-zero-fare numbers.<ref>C. van Goeverden, P. Rietveld, J. Koelemeijer, P. Peeters: [http://www.istiee.org/te/papers/N32/02%20van%20goeverden%20_5-25_.pdf 'Subsidies in public transport'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916064806/http://www.istiee.org/te/papers/N32/02%20van%20goeverden%20_5-25_.pdf |date=16 September 2008 }} ''European Transport'' 32 (2006): 5–25</ref> In 2013, bus subsidies were reduced, resulting in the reintroduction of fares (60 cents per ride).<ref name = "Eltis">{{cite web|url=http://www.eltis.org/index.php?ID1=5&id=60&news_id=4183|title=Hasselt cancels free public transport after 16 years (Belgium) |publisher=eltis.org}}</ref>

<ref>
{{Citation
  | last = PR Newswire
  | title = Hasselt Celebrates 10 Years of Free Public Transport
  | date = 29 June 2007
  | url = http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=201965
  | access-date = 21 February 2002}}
</ref> The city's official website records<ref name="hasselt.be">{{cite web |url=http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 |title=Stad HASSELT :: 10 jaar gratis openbaar vervoer |access-date=11 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020214003/http://www.hasselt.be/content/content/record.php?ID=4418 |archive-date=20 October 2008 }}</ref> passenger growth as follows:

{| border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center;"
|+'''''Passenger growth'''''
|- style="background:#f8f8f8;"
! Year !! Passengers !! Percentage
|-
| 1996 || 360 000 || 100%
|-
| 1997|| 1,498,088 || 428%
|-
| 1998 || 2,837,975|| 810%
|-
| 1999 || 2,840,924 || 811%
|-
| 2000 || 3,178,548 || 908%
|-
| 2001 || 3,706,638 || 1059%
|-
| 2002 || 3,640,270 || 1040%
|-
| 2003 || 3,895,886 || 1113%
|-
| 2004 || 4,259,008 || 1217%
|-
| 2005 || 4,257,408 || 1216%
|-
| 2006 || 4,614,844 || 1319%
|}
A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming "like gold in value", because of free bus travel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-o/opver/hasselt.asp |title=Pagina niet gevonden - Gva.be |access-date=21 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720192415/http://www.gva.be/dossiers/-o/opver/hasselt.asp |archive-date=20 July 2011 }}</ref>

In 2013, Hasselt cancelled free public transportation due to financial reasons. The operator increased its claim towards the city, which the city could not pay. Now persons up to the age of 19 travel for free.<ref name = "Eltis"/>

===Rail===
[[Hasselt railway station]], run by [[National Railway Company of Belgium|NMBS]], is located near the city centre, outside the innermost ring road. [[InterCity]] trains link the city to major Belgian centres such as [[Brussels]], [[Antwerp]], [[Liège]], and [[Leuven]], as well as to [[Brussels Airport]].

==== Reopening of rail line 20 Hasselt - Maastricht ====
In February 2007, a plan was launched for the construction of an international [[light rail]] connection between Hasselt and Maastricht ([[Hasselt – Maastricht tramway]]). Agreements between the relevant governments were reached in June 2008 and December 2011. The line was planned to reduce the current travel time of 61 minutes by bus to only 36 minutes. Construction should have started in 2014, with the line expected to go into service in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.delijn.be/mobiliteitsvisie2020/spartacuslimburg/waarstaanwenu/lijn1.htm |title=Sneltramlijn 1: Hasselt - Maastricht - Waar staan we nu? - Mobiliteitsvisie 2020 - de Lijn |access-date=22 February 2014 |archive-date=6 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306194221/http://www.delijn.be/mobiliteitsvisie2020/spartacuslimburg/waarstaanwenu/lijn1.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The construction eventually was delayed several times due to problems with the [[Wilhelminabrug]] in Maastricht, concerns about the profitability and the numbers of passengers making use of the planned line as well as opposition from the Hasselt city council regarding the planned route through the city.<ref>{{Cite web |last=NWS |first=VRT |date=2021-04-23 |title=Sneltram Hasselt-Maastricht zal tot aan station van Hasselt rijden, verzekert Vlaams minister Lydia Peeters |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/04/23/sneltram-hasselt-maastricht-zal-tot-aan-station-van-hasselt-rijd/ |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=vrtnws.be |language=nl}}</ref> The Flemish government eventually stopped the project, with various Dutch governments reporting to have spent more than €20 million without any major construction happening. The line has now been proposed to be replaced by a so-called electric ''trambus'' system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belgium pulls the plug on cross-border tram to the Netherlands, to the dismay of the Dutch |url=https://www.railtech.com/infrastructure/2022/06/01/belgium-pulls-the-plug-on-cross-border-tram-to-the-netherlands-to-the-dismay-of-the-dutch/ |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=RailTech.com |date=June 2022 |language=en-GB}}</ref> However, concerns were raised too as the new alternative might not fulfill the cross-border high-quality public transport needs of the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Studie sneltram versus trambus zaait nog meer twijfels |url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20220607_96651517 |access-date=2022-09-08 |website=www.hbvl.be |date=8 June 2022 |language=nl-BE}}</ref> 

Since end 2024, the reopening of [[Hasselt-Maastricht railway|rail line 20]] between Hasselt and Maastricht is being reconsidered within Flanders, after the Dutch Government unveiled plans to demolish a vital railway bridge over the [[Meuse]] river in Maastricht.<ref name=":12">{{cite news | last=van Diepen|first=Timmie|title=ANALYSE. Rijdt na de tram nu ook de trambus zich vast?|url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20240313_98006961|work=Het Belang van Limburg|date=2024-03-14|language=nl|via=hbvl.be}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=van Diepen|first=Timmie|title=Politiek roert zich in strijd tegen sloop van spoorbrug in Maastricht|url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20241126_96017520|work=Het Belang van Limburg|date=2024-11-27|language=nl|via=hbvl.be}}</ref>