According to a user report published this Tuesday, cycle lanes are more developed in the inner suburbs of Paris. Seine-Saint-Denis is one of the most ambitious students in this area.
Cycle paths are experiencing strong development in the inner suburbs of Paris, with some 90 kilometers developed by the departmental councils since 2021, but which remains timid in the outer suburbs, according to a user report published on Tuesday September 12 and relayed by the AFP.
While cycling has exploded in recent years in inner Paris, with the appearance of all-purpose cycle paths, this ecological mode of transport is less widespread in the outskirts of the capital. However, efforts are being made to encourage it by adapting infrastructure.
“We note a strong disparity between the departments of the inner and outer suburbs. In the inner suburbs, Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis and Hauts-de-Seine are putting more financial and human resources into achieving their goals. objectives, which are also much higher”, indicates the Vélo Île-de-France collective in a report on the assessment of cycling developments around Paris.
The example of Seine-Saint-Denis
Since the last elections in 2021, the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council has been the most ambitious in this area with the development of 41.4 kilometers of cycle roads, according to the collective.
The poorest department in mainland France was able to take advantage of the opportunities created by the end of the Covid crisis and the holding of the Olympic Games on its territory, which wanted to encourage cycling to reduce their carbon footprint, notes the report.
“By investing 150 million euros in the cycling plan, we are making Seine-Saint-Denis a model of ecological transition. Our cycling infrastructure will sustainably improve the living environment of residents,” welcomed its president (PS ) Stéphane Troussel in a press release.
With 36.9 kilometers of length completed since 2021, the action of the Hauts-de-Seine department is also praised for its policy of qualitative developments which “prefigures a large-scale transformation of the territory”, according to the collective.
Less significant developments elsewhere
Conversely, the growth of cycle lanes is much more measured in the outer suburbs, with areas that are much larger and less densely urbanized.
Between Yvelines, Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne and Essonne – which represent 93% of the surface area of Île-de-France – only 52.7 kilometers of cycle facilities have seen the day since 2021. These figures do not, however, take into account any developments carried out by municipalities on municipal roads.
“Results are possible, as the implementation of cycling developments is rapid in comparison to major road or public transport projects. To do this, cycling will have to be made a priority,” estimates the Vélo Île-de-France collective. .
