Cycling in Paris

Paris has steadily increased its network of bicycle paths since the late 1990s. As of 2010^[update] there were 440 km of cycling routes in Paris,^[1] including bike paths and bus lanes that had been widened for use by bike riders.

Cycle ways and routes within Paris

There are 440 km of cycle paths and routes in Paris. These include piste cyclable (bike lanes separated from other traffic by physical barriers such as a kerb) and bande cyclable (a bicycle lane denoted by a painted path on the road). Also since 2008, 29 km of specially marked bus lanes are free to be used by cyclists.^[2] Cyclists have also been given the right to ride in both directions on certain one-way streets.

Paris' bike routes are detailed in guides such as Paris de Poche: Cycliste et Piéton (i.e. Pocket Paris: Cyclist and Pedestrian) which costs about €5 or the free Paris á Velo available from Paris town hall offices.

Vélib'

Main article: Vélib'

Vélib' at Place de la Bastille.

Following the successful examples of bicycle hire schemes in the French cities of Rennes and Lyon the city of Paris launched a system of rental bikes free service called Vélib' on the 15th of July 2007. Managed by the company JCDecaux there were originally 10,648 bikes available at 750 Vélib' stations. More than 20,600 bikes at 1,451 stations are planned for late 2007 and Paris may eventually have 50,000 Vélib' bikes for hire.

Vélib's main aim is to replace car use in Paris for short trips.

Paris Respire

Paris Respire (literally "Paris breathe") is a car-free scheme where certain roads are closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays and public holidays between the hours of 9am and 5pm. The roads closed include those by the River Seine, in the Marais, the Canal Saint Martin, Montmartre as well as roads elsewhere in the city.^[3] Cycling and walking are the main forms of getting around on these roads on these days.

National and international cycle routes

Voies vertes

Some of the French cycle routes known as Voies vertes (literally "green ways") pass through Paris. One is the Piste du canal de L'Ourcq (the Ourcq canal path) which runs 97 km through Paris to Sevran.^[4]

EuroVelo and other international routes

The EuroVelo 3 long-distance cycle path, dubbed the Pilgrim's Route, running between Santiago de Compostela in Spain and Trondheim in Norway passes through Paris.

Other international routes include the Avenue Verte route which runs between Paris and London. The Avenue Verte crosses the English Channel at Dieppe via the Newhaven – Dieppe ferry.

Future developments

As announced in June 2010, Paris will increase the size of its bike path network to 700 km by 2014. Also the city has pledged to create 1,000 new bike parking places per year and is setting up a maison du velo in the Bastille district that will provide rental, repair and other services to cyclists.^[5]

See also

• Transport in Paris

References

1. ^ Pineau, Elizabeth (2010-08-12). "Paris: from tyranny of taxis to city of bikes". Toronto: The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/paris-from-tyranny-of-taxis-to-city-of-bikes/article1670498/. Retrieved 2011-03-25. 
2. ^ Pourquoi ouvrir les couloirs de bus aux vélos?
3. ^ Sundays in Paris: ‘Paris Respire’
4. ^ Les Véloroutes et voies vertes de Paris
5. ^ Paris: from tyranny of taxis to city of bikes

External links

• Paris goes cycling mad | Environment | The Guardian
• Freewheeling Paris - Cycling Paris on a Vélib' bike | Travel | The Guardian