The French capital has recently announced an upgrade in its cycling infrastructure in an attempt to make it completely bike-friendly. The upgrade, slated to finish by 2026, includes an addition of 180 kilometres (112 miles) of new permanent segregated bike lanes and almost a three-time increase in bike parking spots of 180,000. The city currently has 60,000 biking spots and more than 1,000 kilometres of safe cycle paths. Apart from the new biking lanes, the city will also turn 52 kilometres of temporary lanes added during the pandemic into permanent biking lanes. Connection points will also be better improved to provide increased integration between Paris and its neighbouring suburbs.
The budget for the upgrade is set at a whopping 250 million Euro ($291 million), pointing at its dedication to an eco-friendly infrastructure as well as the popularity of cycling amongst Parisians. The city, which currently sees about 1 million bike journeys daily, will most likely become one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the world post the upgrade.
This, however, is not the city’s first move towards an eco-friendlier lifestyle. Since 2015, the city holds an annual “car-free day” to curb vehicle use and control pollution in the city. The day sees most of the traffic being removed from its busy centre and thoroughfares like the Champs-Élysées avenue being filled with walkers and cyclists instead.
While the development is only positive for the environment, there are a few concerns the French capital will have to curb as well. Many Parisians have found the increase of bikes on the road hard to handle, which will be curbed by increasing police controls and putting pedestrian safety first. Paris also reported bicycle thefts increased by seven per cent in 2020 and around 80 per cent of people admitted to not cycling due to the fear of their bike being stolen as their number one reason.
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