This Sunday, March 23, the residents of Paris are called to vote for or against the pedestrianization of 500 new streets of the French capital. This list of vehicle -free roads adds to More than 200 already pacified in the citybaptized as “school streets” for their proximity to educational centers.
“The objective of this consultation is to ask the Parisians if they want us to continue and accelerate the pedestrianization and ecologization works,” explained the deputy mayor of Paris and responsible for the green spaces, Christophe Najdovski.
Voters still do not know what streets will be chosen to pedestrianize, but the criterion will focus on whether or not to plant vegetation, or if the street in question has enough space to make this transformation, among other aspects.
To this consultation organized by the City of Paris, they are called to physically vote all the citizens over 16 yearsand the results will be announced on Sunday night. Although in France, local citizen consultations are not usually binding, they have a significant weight in political decision making.
200 “School streets”
In 2024, about 200 “school streets” launched themselves with the aim of making the journey from home to school safer, but also to combat pollution and promote the social fabric of neighborhoods. Even so, these roads can continue to access certain authorized vehicles, such as emergencies or cleaning.
“It is a space that we can all enjoy, free of cars, danger and noise,” says a neighbor of the 17th district of Paris, while walking along Legendre Street, which has become a quiet pedestrian passage to Lacaille Street.
The process to reach these mobility oasis has not been easy. Although they now enjoy it from the little ones to adults, thanks to the licenses granted to install terraces, some residents of the Montmartre neighborhood have shown their outrage at the consequences of these works. In particular, for the traffic jams that are generated in the streets adjacent to the works, and as a consequence, the increase in pollution and noise.
The future of Paris without cars
The fight against the car does not stop there. This plan not only includes the pedestrianization of streets, but also the restriction of vehicles in the center of Paris and the creation of kilometers of “cycle paths” that help transform the capital into a city “100% cycling”thanks to the investment of 150 million euros.
On November 4, the City Council established a limited traffic zone in districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the capital, closing access to all non -priority vehicles, except for residents, workers or medical appointments.
The attached mayor of Paris, Patrick Bloche, insists that “this is a city choice that the Parisians will make” through the vote this Sunday. A decision that entails pros and cons; “With the revergeration and pedestrianization of 500 new streets, there will be 10,000 less parking spaces“, insists.
For Anne, a Parisian lover of “The aimless walks”, the progress of the cities is to free them from the vehicles: “The weekend you begin to notice more. Less cars, more people on foot, more bicycles and less pollution,” he explains.
In 2024, the use of the bicycle beat the car in the displacements within Paris, with 11.2% of trips made by bicycle compared to 4.3% by car. In addition, since 2022, the number of cyclists in Parisine streets has doubled, especially during peak hours, according to the latest data provided by Velibthe company that manages the public bikes of Paris.
