Category: News

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Date: November 12, 2024

Zentrum fir Urban Gerechtegkeet (ZUG) Celebrates Legal Win in Fight for Transparency and Pedestrian Safety

In a major win for public accountability and urban justice, the Tribunal administratif has ruled in favor of Zentrum fir Urban Gerechtegkeet (ZUG) asbl, declaring that critical information on pedestrian safety must be accessible to the public. This decision, issued on November 11, 2024, reaffirms the right of all residents to hold their city accountable for safe and equitable urban planning.

ZUG initiated legal action after the Ville de Luxembourg (VdL) repeatedly refused to disclose documents detailing safety assessments of pedestrian crossings. Despite VdL’s resistance, the Tribunal has now ordered the release of these documents, validating ZUG’s claims and supporting a more transparent, democratic approach to public safety.

The court confirmed that the administration does not benefit from an unchecked right to withhold information as it pleases. The court stressed that for any specific request to be refused, the administration must provide explicit justification, grounded in legally defined exemptions—such as national security concerns—that genuinely apply. In ZUG’s case, VdL failed to provide such reasoning, instead broadly resting its case on blanket statements such as “internal documents = no communication.” The court further noted that the requested documents contained no information that might compromise the administration’s functions or public safety. In fact, it recognized the public value in ZUG’s work to enhance pedestrian safety. As a result, the court ordered that these documents be made public, firmly rejecting VdL’s stance across virtually all key points of its argument.

“This decision is a victory for transparency, accountability, and the basic right to public safety,” said Federico Gentile, ZUG. “Today, we are reminded that when we come together, we can reclaim our right to a city that works for everyone.”

The verdict also reveals that there is no trace whatsoever of any (informal) agreement between the MMTP and the VdL, a claim which the city used to justify delayed action in making pedestrian crosswalks compliant with the law – and therefore safer. Years of valuable time have been lost. ZUG demands swift and concrete action from the VdL in order to bring all remaining pedestrian crosswalks up to code. There is no excuse.

ZUG is looking forward to the VdL complying with this ruling and the release of the required documents without delay. Transparency and community empowerment are the cornerstones of a just society. ZUG calls on residents, advocates, and organizations to join in the push for a city that is safe, accessible, and responsive to its people’s needs.

Zentrum fir Urban Gerechtegkeet ASBL will continue to challenge practices that undermine public oversight and perpetuate exclusion. Together, we are forging a Luxembourg that places justice, transparency, and human dignity above all else.

The Ville de Luxembourg has until December 23, 2024, to appeal this decision.

Contact:

Zentrum fir Urban Gerechtegkeet a.s.b.l
info@zug.lu

Madame le Bourgmestre,

Conformément à la loi du 14 septembre 2018 relative à une administration
transparente et ouverte, et suite à vos affirmations au conseil municipal
du 15 novembre ainsi que la réunion de la commission « Mobilité urbaine »
du 2 décembre en relation avec la sécurité des passages piétons, nous
vous prions de nous faire parvenir endéans le délai de 30 jours prévu par
la loi les documents suivants:

• document(s) contenant l’analyse menée par les services de la Ville de Luxembourg des passages piétons mesurés comme étant en non-conformité par le ZUG (projet « Safe Crossing »)
• document(s) contentant l’analyse de tous les passages piétons de la ville
• base(s) de données géographiques du service topographie contenant les trottoirs, les marquages sur la route et les places de parking
• document(s) reprenant l’accord avec le MMTP concernant l’interprétation des articles 164(2.)(e) & 166(h) du Code de la Route et son application sur le territoire de la Ville de Luxembourg
• document le plus récent d’interprétation interne du Service Circulation de ces mêmes articles
• document le plus récent d’interprétation interne du Service Juridique de ces mêmes articles
• document(s) présentant les 37 passages piétons que la Ville considère comme non-conformes
• document(s) reprenant les slides de la réunion de la commission « Mobilité urbaine » du 2 décembre 2021

Si un ou plusieurs de ces documents étaient non-communicables, nous
souhaitons obtenir les autres.
Nous vous prions d’agréer, Madame le Bourgmestre, l’expression de nos
sentiments distingués
ZUG

PDF version

ZUG thanks everyone at the municipal council meeting for giving new energy to the subject
of pedestrian safety.

We take this opportunity to reiterate the primary goal of ZUG’s Safe Crossing project:
protecting pedestrians. Safety of the most vulnerable road users cannot be left to
interpretation and compromises.

The project’s data must be interpreted as a chance to fix the problem. As such, we do not
want unnecessary energy to be spent on defending the inadequate status quo. We urge
leaders to take a step back and see the bigger picture. The safety of people is at risk.

We want to make some specific remarks to Mr Goldschmidt’s statements and an appeal for full transparency:

1. The city claims that there exists some agreement or understanding between the City of Luxembourg and the MDDI (now MMTP), providing for what appears to be an exception to the rules of the Code de la Route. However, unless this document is made public, including how the provisions therein supersede the law, such an explanation cannot hold. The Code de la Route is the law, and articles 164(2.)(e) & 166(h) clearly state that no vehicles may be parked in a radius of 5m from either end of a pedestrian crossing.

2. The analysis made by the ZUG.lu collective is fully transparent and accessible to everyone at https://zug.lu/safe-crossing/more.html. Even if one were to accept the city’s interpretation of the applicability of the 5 metre rule, without publication of their analysis, it is impossible to verify its veracity. Therefore, in the name of transparency, we request that the city publishes its analysis about all pedestrian crossings.

3. Regarding Mr Goldschmidt’s invitation to meet: We are open to meet in a productive and constructive manner. However, we will only meet under fair conditions and without any unjustifiable asymmetry of information. This means that the city needs to publish publicly the agreement between itself and the MMTP as well as its analysis of the pedestrian crossings at least 1 full calendar week before the meeting date.

We demand that the City of Luxembourg and the MMTP match the level of transparency that we have provided ourselves. Our data is out, where is yours?

We are pleased that the topic of pedestrian safety is being discussed actively within the city’s
leadership. We applaud the city’s renewed commitment to pedestrian safety.

ZUG will get in touch with experts in the field and make efforts to acquire independent expert
opinions. As always, we will publish our findings.