As France eases its coronavirus lockdown, it aims to limit crowds by encouraging bicycle use and turning some of the busiest streets in the capital, Paris, into cycle lanes.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said that “in total, 50 kilometres of lanes normally used by cars will be reserved for bicycles”, and added that 30 streets would be made pedestrian-only, “in particular around schools to avoid groups of people”.
The announcement comes as the government has unveiled a €20 million package to encourage the use of bicycles post-lockdown, including a €50 subsidy for bike repairs or tune-ups.
Even before the outbreak, Hidalgo has been attempting to reduce car use in the capital by closing off streets. She said some of the closures could be made permanent after the crisis has passed. Many Paris suburbs have also announced plans for new bike lanes.
Last week, it was announced that one of the city’s busiest boulevards, Rue de Rivoli, would be only for bikes as from May 11. Other streets will include the Boulevard Saint-Michel in the Left Bank’s Saint-Germain neighbourhood, and the express tunnel under the chaotic roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe.
As the measures are gradually eased, authorities have warned that social distancing will be difficult in large cities, considering the density of passengers in the city’s over-saturated public transport metro system.
“As the lockdown ends, we need bicycles to fully take their place’ as transportation solutions”, environment minister Elisabeth Borne said Monday.
