If certain sections of the Paris ring road increase to 50 km/h from next Tuesday, the measure will be generalized to the entire belt on October 10.
The reduction in speed to 50 km/h on the Paris ring road should come into force gradually from Tuesday, to be generalized across the entire belt on October 10, we learned from Paris town hall on Friday. The increase in maximum speed to 50 km/h, instead of the current 70 km/h, will apply from Tuesday on a section of the ring which surrounds the capital, between the Porte des Lilas (north-east) and the Porte d’Orléans (south), said Paris town hall, confirming information from BFM Paris.
It will then take six nights of closure – of certain roads, in sections – to install the new signage, which will be generalized on October 10 to all 35 km of the ring road. “We are not going to fine motorists from October 1 (Tuesday, editor’s note), there will be a transition period to change the signs, the radars…”assured last week the first deputy mayor of Paris, Patrick Bloche.
François Duvrovray unfavorable to the measure
The decision to lower the speed on this urban highway, used by more than a million vehicles per day, falls under the jurisdiction of Paris town hall, which owns it. It should be effective after the publication of a municipal decree.
The new Minister for Transport, François Durovray, indicated that he was not in favor of the measure, believing that “there was no point in restricting traffic if there are no alternatives”. Even if, he admitted Thursday during a press conference, Anne Hidalgo is “perfectly entitled to apply a speed reduction”. He spoke on the subject this Friday with the socialist councilor.
“The mayor of Paris takes note, with regret, of the minister’s disagreement but will implement the measure on October 1”indicated the City and the Ministry of Transport in a joint press release following the interview. “This decision was taken at the end of a long consultation carried out over several years with the State and other communities. The mayor of Paris also presented all the results of this work to the minister.adds the press release.
Strong criticism
The minister “regrets this decision which will affect millions of Ile-de-France residents”underlines the press release. “He points out that no impact study exists on this subject. Respectful of the autonomy of local authorities, it takes note of this decision which legally falls solely to the mayor of Paris.according to the joint press release. Mr. Durovray “hopes that future public policies relating to the ring road, a route taken by Ile-de-France residents and not only by Parisians, will be taken with a more collaborative and balanced approach”.
“Nevertheless, the minister and the mayor agreed on the implementation of monitoring of the measure associating the Ministry of Transport, the City of Paris and the Île France Region, with a complete assessment in one year”concludes the press release. Anne Hidalgo’s decision announced at the beginning of September raised strong criticism, in particular from the president of the Île-de-France Region Valérie Pécresse (LR) and from employers’ organizations in the Ile-de-France region, who denounce a measure taken in “unilateral” et “antisocial”.
