The Ville Lumière has undergone a radical metamorphosis in recent years, transforming its once car-dominated streets into a cyclist’s paradisewith over 1,000 km of dedicated infrastructure. And the results are surprising: between 2022 and 2023, bicycle use doubled and, in the city centre, two wheels already represent 11.2% of tripswhile car use collapsed to 4.3%. This revolution, which began in the heart of Paris, it is now also extending to the suburbsredesigning the urban and social fabric of the entire area.
What drove Paris to embrace cycling with such enthusiasm?
Several factors have contributed to this epochal change. The 2019 transport strikes forced Parisians to look for alternatives to the car, discovering the bicycle as a practical and efficient means of transport. The COVID-19 pandemic then accelerated the processwith the introduction of temporary cycle paths, the “coronapistes”, later made permanent given their popularity.
Without a doubt, the key figure in this transformation was the mayor Anne Hidalgo, fervent supporter of a more sustainable and human-scale city. Re-elected in 2020, Hidalgo launched an ambitious plan to make Paris the greenest city in Europe by 2030, with reducing car traffic and promoting sustainable mobility as cornerstones.
What strategies has Paris adopted to achieve this objective?
The city has invested heavily in cycling infrastructure, creating dedicated lanes separated from traffic, expanding bike parking and reducing speed limits to 30 km/h in most urban areas. The iconic Rue de Rivoli, for example, it has been transformed into a two-way cycle pathbecoming a fundamental artery for cyclists.
Paris vs London: two models compared
If we compare Paris with other metropolises, such as London, the difference in approach clearly emerges. Both cities have a similar amount of bike paths, but a Paris investments are managed at municipal level, ensuring more coordinated planning and greater coherence in the cycling network. TO Londonhowever, investments are often delegated to individual districts, resulting in a fragmented and less efficient network.
Furthermore, Paris has a more established public bike rental system and has banned the rental of e-scooters, further encouraging the use of bicycles.
Future challenges: suburbs and security
Despite the progress, Paris still faces some challenges. In the suburbs, the car remains the predominant means of transport, accounting for over 60% of trips. For this reason, the city is investing in the project Grand Paris Expresswhich aims to improve public transport links between Paris and its suburbs by encouraging intermodality between public transport and cycling.
Another critical point concerns the safety of cyclists. Despite new infrastructure, cyclists continue to face dangers.
A model to follow?
Paris, with its two-wheeled revolution, represents a virtuous example of how a large metropolis can concretely commit to more sustainable mobility. Despite the challenges still to be faced, the city has demonstrated that it is possible to reduce car traffic and promote the use of bicycles, improving the quality of life of citizens and contributing to a more sustainable future, also from an environmental point of view.
