500 pedestrian-only streets - Parisians vote to "remove" cars from some areas of the city
Parisians have voted in a referendum to make 500 more streets pedestrianised, a move aimed at reducing car use and improving air quality in the capital.
Parisians have voted in a referendum to make 500 more of the city's streets pedestrian-only, a move that gives new impetus to the French capital's efforts to curb car use and improve air quality.
About 65.96% of citizens voted in favor of the decision, while 34.04% opposed it, according to official results. Only 4.06% of voters participated in the consultation organized by the municipality.
This was the third such referendum in Paris in as many years, following a 2023 vote that approved a ban on e-scooters and a decision last year to triple parking fees for large sports vehicles.
The project will eliminate another 10,000 parking spaces in Paris, adding to the 10,000 removed since 2020. The city's two million residents will be consulted on which streets will become pedestrian zones and which will become gardens.
Paris municipality data shows that car traffic in the city has halved since the Socialists took power in the capital at the turn of the century.
The additional 500 car-free streets will bring the total number to around 700, a little more than a tenth of the capital's roads.
Despite recent changes, Paris lags behind other European capitals in terms of green infrastructure, which includes private gardens, parks, tree-lined avenues. These areas make up just 26% of the city's surface area, compared to an average of 41% for European capitals, according to the European Environment Agency.
However, since 2020, 84 km of bike lanes have been created and their use increased by 71% between the COVID-19 period and 2023, the data shows.
Voters who opposed the proposal said it would only worsen car traffic, as many roads would be closed and rerouting vehicles would not reduce pollution.
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