France Paris further restricts car traffic in the city center

In order to reduce car traffic and create more space for cyclists and pedestrians, Paris is setting up a traffic-calmed zone in the city center. From November 4, only residents and people whose destination is demonstrably in the area between the Place de la Concorde, the Seine, the Opera and the Place de la République will be allowed to drive in the 5.5 square kilometer zone.

The measure is intended to reduce pollutant emissions and noise and increase road safety, the city announced. It should also make it easier for residents, visitors with a fixed destination and people with limited mobility to get around the center of Paris by car.

Exceptions allow cars to enter the city center

People may also enter the zone by car if they want to go to the doctor, restaurant or cinema, go shopping, visit an art gallery or have business there. Anyone driving through the zone without authorization must pay a fine of 135 euros.

Around 350,000 to 500,000 cars currently cross Paris every day, a significant proportion of which do not even stop in the city center, according to the city. This traffic exacerbates conflicts with cyclists and pedestrians in the city center. Paris expects the traffic calming measures to reduce car traffic and traffic noise by 7 to 30 percent, depending on the street.

Traffic turnaround in Paris in full swing

The establishment of a traffic-calmed zone is a further component of the traffic turnaround that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has been promoting for years. Riverside roads along the Seine have been closed to cars and opened to pedestrians. The number of cycle paths is increasing, new green spaces are being created and a 30 km/h speed limit has been introduced almost everywhere in the city. At the beginning of October, the speed limit on the city highway was reduced from 70 to 50 and the parking fee for heavy cars such as SUVs was tripled.

SDA