You have been involved as president of Mieux se Déplacer à Bicyclette (MDB) since 2016, but could you summarise briefly what the organisation is about?
MDB will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, making it one of the oldest cycling advocacy groups in France. Today the organisation boasts a membership of more than 2,900 people across numerous local groups throughout the Île-de-France (wider Paris region). MDB plays a crucial role in making Île-de-France a more bike-friendly place, advocating for sustainable transportation and enhancing the quality of life for its residents through cycling.
MDB is a similar age to LCC — how have you seen the role of cycling and active travel change since you have been president?
There is a real bike revolution in Paris. When I started getting involved in the bike movement in 2015, we were really a small minority of cyclists. At that time, we were asking for bike lanes, arguing that when the lanes were provided, more cyclists would come. And now the cyclists are there — far more people than we would ever have hoped for!
How does the mode share between walking, cycling, public transport and cars compare now with 10 years ago?
Fewer and fewer people are using their cars. More and more people cycling. There was a significant acceleration with the Covid crisis, which brought many public transport users to cycling. Cycling has now become visible because there is such a large number of cyclists.
“Pedestrianisation of the riverbanks was fundamental. It marked a turning point.”
From the outside it seems that things really started to push on when Anne Hidalgo became Mayor of Paris in 2014, and one of her main goals was to combat the terrible air pollution in the city — what changes did that bring in practical terms for Paris residents?
The leadership of the Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, was key. Two main initiatives have made it possible: reducing the space for cars with highly symbolic actions such as the pedestrianisation of the Seine riverbanks, which were previously busy highways, and the creation of a network of structured bike lanes crossing the centre of Paris.
It is really noticeable now when you visit central Paris that the air quality has improved — has it improved in the outer areas/suburbs too?
The traffic is decreasing, not only in the centre of Paris but also in the suburbs. The peak of car usage has been reached everywhere in Île-de-France. The main challenge now is to address the major highway routes that generate the most pollution for nearby residents, starting with the Paris ring road. This is a difficult issue because it requires creating a consensus between the State, the Region, and the city of Paris.
What and where were the biggest landmark changes, the ones that really started to inspire other locations?
The political battle over the pedestrianisation of the riverbanks was fundamental. It marked a turning point. This measure symbolised Mayor Hidalgo’s entire mobility policy. We then saw very fierce attacks against the mayor in the press and at the city council. In the end, she stood firm though, and civil society mobilised. Today, no one would go back, not even the most vehement opponents of the time.
(Above) The symbolism of the changes to the Parc Rives de Seine from a highway to a place for people is critical.
I have read lots of different figures for how many cycle lanes Paris now has — 350km, 700km, 1000km — all these are impressive, but which is accurate?
The numbers don’t make much sense because they mix high-quality bike lanes with older or simple painted lines. The reality is that today we are moving from a city where having a bike lane was an exception to one where it is becoming the rule on major roads, and the opposite is the exception. Some neighbourhoods in western Paris are less well equipped due to opposition from the elected officials of those districts. In the suburbs, it’s even more inconsistent unfortunately.
London’s main/biggest cycleways are ‘radial’ (like spokes of a wheel from the centre), while looking at a map of the Paris cycle network it seems the outer areas are better connected — has this been a main focus rather than links into the centre?
Paris is multi-centric; cyclists need to travel to the centre but also everywhere else, connecting with the suburbs where there are many residents and major business centres like La Défense. The bike network was built opportunistically, depending on available space, road redevelopments, and the political will of district officials. Today, the goal of the bike plan is to link existing lanes to create a continuous network and eliminate breaks and trouble spots that deter people from cycling.
“Over the past four years, 17,000 parking spaces have been removed in Paris.”
Another scheme we’ve been interested to read about is the reduction of car parking spaces across the city to improve streets. How many will be removed? And how have the residents reacted to this change?
The reduction in the number of surface parking spaces is accelerating significantly. Over the past four years, 17,000 parking spaces have been removed, contributing to the eventual goal of removing 70,000 spaces in total. This is made possible by the fact that only a third of Parisians (central Paris) own a car, and many underground parking garages are not full. This no longer sparks the same debates as a few years ago. Some residents complain, but elected officials understand more and more that this is only a small vocal minority. When the removal of parking spaces is associated with the planting of trees, the support is overwhelming.
In London’s recent mayoral election the concept of ‘15-minute cities’ was used by some (right wing) candidates to create a ‘culture war’ — how has the concept been embraced and developed in Paris?
The appeal of living in the centre of Paris lies in the proximity to schools, shops and leisure activities. Everything is accessible on foot or by bike. The challenge is to make Paris both a ‘15-minute city’ and a megacity of nearly 10 million inhabitants, including the entire ‘Grand Paris’ area. Therefore, cycling associations are also working on intermodality with public transport to connect more distant hubs, and on a regional express bike network.
“When we first started talking about incorporating cycling into the Olympics three years ago, decisionmakers laughed at us.”
The Vélib’ hire cycles are still very popular in Paris — and inspired a similar scheme in London — but what about ‘dockless’ hire bikes and scooters? Especially as last year 90% of residents voted for a ban of shared e-scooters…
There was a real problem with electric scooters, which developed without any regulation. Users were often disrespectful, using sidewalks instead of the streets. This led to a massive rejection of shared scooters by Parisians. Shared, free-floating bicycles can sometimes pose parking issues too, but their users generally use bike lanes instead of sidewalks, which leads to better social acceptance.
Mayor Hidalgo’s Plan Velo, a project with €250 million investment for its second stage, aims to make the entire city cyclable by 2026 — what remains to be done to achieve this? And what needs to be the main focus?
The bike plan will not be completed by 2026. Transitioning from planning to reality is always challenging, and the State and certain districts delay or block some projects. However, there has been significant movement in recent months, with many new developments being completed in preparation for the Olympic Games.
(Above) Streets across Paris have been transformed, such as here with the Rue de l’Arbalète, just south of Paris’s main tourist centre.
Of course Paris welcomes the Olympics in July, so what legacy is planned afterwards in terms of cycling and mobility? Is there a regeneration of the St Denis area planned, a poorer area that has had a troubled past?
When we first started talking about incorporating cycling into the Olympics three years ago, decisionmakers laughed at us. Today, the Olympic cycling lanes will be a major legacy of the Games, both within Paris and in connecting with Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest department in Île-de-France. The image of the typical cyclist as a 35-year-old, upper/middle-class man no longer reflects what we see on the streets. The people who ride bikes increasingly represent the diversity of society, which is excellent news.
This article was originally published in London Cyclist summer 2024, London Cycling Campaign’s exclusive member’s magazine. Join as a member today for quarterly copies of London Cyclist delivered to your door, free legal advice, discounts in independent bike shops across London, and much more…
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