October 14, 2024 - The bicycle has clearly established itself in Paris as Parisians use bicycles more than cars according to a study by Institut Paris Region that indicates 30% of trips being made by bicycle in Île-de-France.
For residents of Paris and the inner suburbs, public transport is the primary motorized mode. It is also the primary regional mode for going to work – 45% modal share compared to 33% by car – and for going to school (67%).
The shift to cycling began when Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, was elected in 2014 and pursued some of the toughest anti-car policies of any major city starting with closing the 1970s Right Bank Seine expressway to traffic reports The Guardian.
Hidalgo has since sealed off famous streets such as the Rue de Rivoli to most traffic, created an expanded low-emission zone to exclude older cars, and established 1,000km (620 miles) of bike routes, 350km of them protected lanes.
Read the study Institut Paris Region here.
Read more in The Guardian here.
