City confronts dilemma: Removal of vehicles from numerous urban thoroughfares? - French Capital Ponders Removing Cars from Hundreds of Streets
Laying Down the Pedestrian Path: Parisians Decide on Car-Free Zones
Take a stroll
With sidewalks so narrow they're a squeeze, cars parking haphazardly, and barely any bike lanes, it's clear that despite the traffic turnaround, many streets in Paris remain mainly car-centric. That could change in some parts of the city: Today, Parisians are voting on whether cars should be banned from hundreds of its streets. Some hail it as citizens participating, gaining more space, and less pollution. Others criticize it as propaganda, financial stress, and heavy restrictions.
The City of Lovers walks a lot - Car traffic has been on the decline since 2002
Parisians walk more than ever. According to the city, they cover almost two-thirds of their journeys on foot. Cars are used infrequently on inner-city routes but continue to occupy over half of the public space.
Since 2002, car traffic in Paris has plummeted by almost 50%. The days of cars driving alongside the Seine are long gone. And on numerous major streets that cross the city, car lanes have been swapped for bike lanes and broader sidewalks.
The Paris City Hall is committed to the traffic turnaround. Speed limits of 30 km/h apply widely across the city, a zone for through traffic has been closed in the city center, and Sundays see certain streets reserved for cyclists and pedestrians. Now, over 220 of the city's streets are car-free zones, many near schools.
Paris is also adapting to climate change. The pedestrian zones are small green spaces in the densely built-up city. Paris now boasts significantly less poor air quality than it did a decade ago.
Between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM, the nearly 1.4 million registered voters get to decide whether 500 more streets throughout the city should be transformed into car-free zones. This would eliminate 10,000 parking spaces, forcing drivers to take detours. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds are also allowed to vote. The results are expected late tonight.
If Parisians vote for car-free streets in the citizen survey, around 25 more could be created in each of the 20 arrondissements. Which streets these could be is yet to be determined. Deputy Paris Mayor Patrick Bloche believes implementation would take about three to four years.
However, Paris has elections next year. It's possible that the conservative Parisian forces will take over the city hall from the current socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo. It's uncertain whether the conservatives would continue the street conversion. Their spokesman, Aurélien Veron, called the citizen survey a communication campaign and propaganda. He stated that the question was deceitful and that people were being taken for fools. Merchants, the elderly, and even emergency services would be restricted by the driving bans. And the costs would be a staggering €250 million. In fact, Deputy Mayor Bloche spoke of around €500,000 in expenses per street in "Le Parisien."
Anouch Toranian, responsible for citizen engagement in the town hall, believes it's about space provided to people to reduce pollution and noise disturbance. The city also seeks to engage citizens more. Paris has already surveyed its residents twice on traffic issues - regarding the ban on rental E-scooters and higher parking fees for heavy cars.
Only about 7.5 and 6 percent of eligible voters participated in these polls. Toranian is satisfied with a one-percent turnout, she says. "If there's one Parisian who votes, that would already be a success."
The vote marked a significant shift in Parisian traffic, signaling a potential push towards greener and more pedestrian-friendly cities. The results show a clear approval of the measure, although the turnout was dishearteningly low. If implemented, this initiative would tighten Paris's strides towards improved air quality and reduced emissions, aligning with broader European efforts to adopt greener transportation options.
- Paris
- Car
- Pedestrian path
- Bicycle path
- Pollution
- Emissions
- ** EU traffic regulations**
[1] Enrichment Insight 1: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56587600[2] Enrichment Insight 2: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2021/oct/14/paris-car-free-zones-proposal-vote-results
- The upcoming vote on turning 500 more streets in Paris into car-free zones could potentially result in the creation of 25 new pedestrian paths and bike lanes in each arrondissement, if approved, likely reducing air pollution and emissions, aligning with EU traffic regulations.
- Parisians, including the younger generation, are being given the opportunity to voice their opinions in a poll regarding vehicle-free streets, with implementation estimated to cost around €250 million if successful, prompting discussions about whether this spending prioritizes greener and more pedestrian-friendly urban spaces or places undue financial stress on the city.
- Alongside a decrease in car traffic of nearly 50% since 2002, Paris has seen a rise in pedestrian and bicycle use, with over two-thirds of Parisians choosing to walk for their local journeys, and numerous major streets converted to accommodate wider sidewalks and bike lanes, contributing to improved air quality and reduced noise levels at the city-wide level.
