Transport

The French capital will continue its transformation into a sustainable cycling superpower with a new phase of the Paris Plan Velo that boasts an increased budget of €250 million.

The new Plan Velo 2021-2026 is set to capitalize on the COVID-19 pandemic cycling boom that has seen a seismic shift towards active mobility by Parisians. The increased funding will be channelled along several different lines with the common objective of reducing motorised traffic in the city and encouraging cycling, walking and public transport as the new normal.

Local cycling NGO and member of FUB (Federacion francaise des usagers de la bicylette) Paris en Selle explains that “one of the main objectives of the Plan Vélo is to complete the Parisian primary cycling network by the end of the mandate [of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo] in 2026. This ambitious objective is in line with our demands and, if attained, would make Paris a city where everyone, including children, will be able to cycle safely during their daily commute.”

Paris Deputy Mayor David Belliard, in charge of the transformation of public space and transport, announced that the main component of the plan would be 180km of new segregated two-way cycle lanes are due to be constructed, 50km of which are “coronapistes” (temporary pandemic-related infrastructure) that will become permanent features of the cycle lane network.

Segregated infrastructure is the most effective way of reducing new bicycle user hesitancy and is considered the gold standard when it comes to safer everyday cycling. During the previous election cycle, pro-cycling politicians advocated for a cycling equivalent of the metro system through the construction of a Vélopolitain network made up of so-called surface lines specifically for cycling.
More: Ben Luoma, ECF “Ambitious plan to make Paris a 100% cycling city by 2026”