How Paris halved its traffic in 20 years

Story 173: Lessons from another fabulous European city

I saw it last year: a city center transformed. Despite the temporary demands of the Olympics, Mayor Hidalgo’s ‘pro-bike’ vision has stuck.

They removed 50,000 parking spaces, added 1,000km of bike lanes, and prioritized the human scale.

Paris isn’t in decline; it’s alive, thriving. The streets are for people again, as Transit Tangents explain.

Notes and thoughts

Paris reduced traffic by 50% in 20 years.

20 years.

This blog started in 2025. Its goal is to make a climate-ready Barnes - place and people - more likely by 2050.

25 years.

Possible, desirable, essential.