A First: More Cyclists Than Motorists Here!

For the first time in modern history, Paris has more cyclists than motorists, proving that the anti-motoring measures imposed have positively impacted France’s capital, which underwent quite a revolution in just five years.

L’Institut Paris Région, the largest urban planning and environmental agency in Europe, recently published a report on how Parisians travel from the suburbs to the city center, recording trips – mostly commutes – with GPS trackers.

Between October 2022 and April 2023, 3,337 Parisians from 16 to 80 years of age recorded their journeys for seven consecutive days. During peak periods, and thanks to building many kilometres of cycleways, a growing number of Parisians now hop on bikes to make their way through Île-de-France instead of cars. In the course of her two terms in office, Paris’s socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo imposed anti-motoring measures – including reducing the number of parking places, restricting access by SUVs, and closing some significant roads to motorists – thus putting in practice the home-grown concept of the 15-minute city with urban areas where amenities are easily accessible without the use of a car.