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news
Paris segregated cycle lane (copyright Simon MacMichael)Mayor of Paris: Cycle lanes have helped slash car use in French capital
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo says that cycle lanes have helped slash the number of motor vehicles driven on the streets of the French capital since the start of the year.
The first five months of 2018 have seen the number of vehicles fall 6.5 per cent against the comparable period last year, according to figures released by the city’s government.
https://www.paris.fr/actualites/baisse-significative-du-trafic-automobil...
February saw the sharpest drop, with 705 vehicles recorded per kilometre per hour, down 11.4 per cent on the same month in 2017.
There was a notable drop in the morning rush hour, with traffic down 8.7 per cent, against a fall of 6.7 per cent in the evening peak.
There were also big drops on some of the city’s main arteries throughout the day.
From 7am to 9am, the number of vehicles recorded on the Boulevard St Germain fell 9.2 per cent, while across the Seine, Rue de Rivoli, which runs from the Marais just east of the Hotel de Ville to Place de la Concorde, saw a drop of 17.9 per cent.
Graphic of planned cycle lane on Rue de Rivoli
The figures are being hailed as continuing proof of city hall’s efforts to fight air pollution, including a reform of paid parking, and reflect an acceleration of an existing trend that saw traffic fall by 3 per cent from 2003 to 2014 and by 4 per cent in the subsequent two years.
The administration says that between 2003 and 2013, air pollution fell by 30 per cent.
Hidalgo declared 2017 the ‘Year of the Bicycle’ in Paris, outlining plans to double the city’s network of cycle lanes and halve motor traffic by 2020 while also pedestrianizing a large area of the heart of the capital.
> Paris mayor: 2017 will be the year of the bicycle
Not everything is rosy when it comes to cycling in Paris, however.
Last month, we reported on problems with the city’s pioneering Vélib’ cycle hire scheme following a change of operator as well as competition from dockless hire scheme’s such as Ofo.
> Paris bike-share scheme subsiding as new operator struggles with revamp
According to Hidalgo, Parisians “consider that the system they loved has been ruined” since its operation was taken over by Franco-Spanish consortium Smovengo from advertising giant JCDecaux.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
Latest Comments
- mark1a 1 sec ago
Controversial I know but the problems would mostly go away if the whole lot was decriminalised or legalised, dependence and addiction were treated...
- Brauchsel 55 min 57 sec ago
I don't think that's what the percentages mean. I take them as saying (e.g.) that 11% of black respondents cycled in the pre-pandemic period, and...
- BikeyDavey92 3 hours 37 min ago
As someone who works in Insurance completely agree with this. This is why you have the product and even if everyone is well intentioned, you can...
- ktache 4 hours 16 min ago
Don't know what it was about today, maybe the banks of mist, but I received several weeks of close passes in one day.
- Sriracha 4 hours 43 min ago
I've a feeling that yellow colour attracts flying insects - either that or they're just out to get me. So the bug mesh is a valuable addition
- Hirsute 5 hours 19 min ago
At a pinch point, where the road narrows, in a blind bend, to avoid a pothole, to avoid being doored, to deter a senseless or careless overtake,...
- Backladder 5 hours 50 min ago
No more ludicrous than the UCI sock height limits!
- grumpyoldcyclist 5 hours 54 min ago
They may be limited to 50 or 60 mph, but they don't observe it and speed cameras haven't been told about the different limits....
- CyclingGardener 5 hours 57 min ago
I agree. As I said, just trying to add some context.
- Kieselguhr Kid 6 hours 58 min ago
As someone who does operate an emergency vehicle I can say that the vehicles that slow us down when going lights and sirens to an emergency aren't...
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16 comments
So you slash car lanes by almost a half and then you proclaim "car use has been slashed " ..
C'est incroyable !!!!
And contrary to London, there are no cycle super highways , it's almost shared space with buses and motorcycles; not so cool ... Your BoJo did a very very good job . You don't need to be a libtard to love bikes.
Is that not a segregated bike lane in the photo above?
I agree about Boris though, after alot of protest from camaigners (the first term was a washout),
he did finally deliver the goods - or at least the start of something good.
London - could be transformed almost overnight with he actual understanding, real intent and real will. one of this will be found emanating from 'commish' Will.
Lame ducks commenting from the sidelines as if it's somebody else's job.
A network of trialled lanes (light segregaion at first) - created with Experimental Traffic Orders) and closing the thousands of miles of filhhy rat-runs.
GIve campaigners the job and we'll get out there and get the stuff done oursekves.
Who you please stop talking about London majors on this rare post about Paris, where unfortunaly there are still cars.
It is almost like Induced Demand is a real thing.
These stats sound cherry picked. Would like more context such as comparison with historical weather conditions, road works, traffic and public transport volumes. And comparison for surrounding roads as well.
Anne Hidalgo is a proper Mayor, unlike London's sorry encumbent (and walking and cycling commissioner sidekick). If you look at Madame Hidalgo's social media, you'll note that she focuses on her City, the celebration car-free days on the Champs Elysees and the giving over of the Parc rives de Seine to pedestrians, cyclists, roller-bladers, joggers and families.
By contrast, Mayor Khan's social media tends to focus on...erm....himself, and his mayoralty given over to political self-promotion.
I cheer myself up by telling myself that in a couple of years, Mayor Khan will be gone and we will have our own proper Mayor doing proper, grown-up Mayor things.
I think your post has achieved peak irony.
Do you think Johnson was a proper Mayor? Or are you thinking back to Livingston?
I'm hoping for Chris Boardman......
I'd vote for him even though I'm not in London.
Can we just add him to any vote and get him elected as PM? To be honest, he might not want all the political bullshit, so can we just get him as a consultant with complete veto power on transport issues?
Hands off! We're keeping him in Manchester as patron saint of walking and cycling.
I know Johnson was a Tory so it's against the law to like him but I am thankful for his pro-cycling stance. What hasn't happened under Khan is a continuation of Johnson's work. He's a wishy-washy fucktard of the highest order. Bring back Boris and Andrew Gilligan.
Johnson took all the credit for the cycle hire scheme, which was a legacy of Ken Livingstone's tenure. Johnson only started cycling because he was banned from driving after being caught over the limit. And lest we forget, Johnson's idea of cycle lanes were just blue paint.
Khan is a better mayor all round. But he'st ruggling, having inherited the mess the Tories have made. The crime problem we're seeing in London for instance is a direct result of Theresa May's slashing of police budgets. There's evena report on that, though of course it's been suppressed as it's a little embarassing for our hapless PM.
As for Johnson, he only cares about himself.
That's not fair: he also seems to care a great deal about people he was at school or in the club with, or who are friends of people he was at school or in the club with...
Anti-pollution measures in a major city! Whatever next?
Decent sentences for killing cyclists?