News24
16 Sep 2020, 23:43 GMT+10
New cycling lanes in Paris, opened in a rush to deal with a massive commuter shift to bikes during the Covid pandemic, will be made permanent, the city's mayor Anne Hidalgo has said.She said the surge in cycling Parisians had shown that bikes had become a credible commuting choice, and that "it also helps to cut pollution."Paris, other cities and the French government have made big efforts to boost cycling, as social distancing rules make public transport inconvenient and risky.
New cycling lanes in Paris, opened in a rush to deal with a massive commuter shift to bikes during the Covid pandemic, will be made permanent, the city's mayor said Wednesday.
After years of expanding the French capital's network of bike paths, city officials turned an additional 50 kilometres of traffic lanes used by cars over to cyclists in a move initially announced as temporary.
"They will be made permanent, we're working on that", Mayor Anne Hidalgo told Europe 1 radio.
She said that the surge in cycling Parisians had shown that bikes had become a credible commuting choice, and that "it also helps to cut pollution."
Hidalgo's most radical move during the pandemic was to turn the Rue de Rivoli, a main thoroughfare running between the Bastille and past the Louvre to the sprawling Place de la Concorde, into a multi-lane biking highway.
This arrangement will also be kept in place beyond the pandemic, Hidalgo said, with just taxis, buses and some other vehicle categories allowed there.
Paris, other cities and the French government have made big efforts to boost cycling, as social distancing rules make public transport inconvenient and risky.
The French government said this week that it would commit an additional €20 million to subsidies for bike repairs or tune-ups, extending a popular programme aimed at easing public transport crowds.
Bike repair shops are booked out for months as Parisians dust off their bikes, while the bike rental scheme Velib' is working at capacity.
Paris is well-placed to turn the virus crisis into an opportunity to encourage cycling, after placing it at the heart of transport policy for years.
Since 2015, Paris has invested €150 million as part of a goal to become a "world cycling capital."
The five-year plan included doubling Paris cycle lanes to 1 400 kilometres from 700, creating 10 000 bike parking spots and upgrading the Velib' system, which had been falling into disrepair.
Get a daily dose of Zimbabwe Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Zimbabwe Star.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After months of warnings from former federal officials and weather experts, the deadly flash floods that struck the...
MOSCOW, Russia: Just hours after his sudden dismissal by President Vladimir Putin, Russia's former transport minister, Roman Starovoit,...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
Vancouver [Canada], July 11 (ANI): Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman called the attack on a cafe owned by comedian Kapil Sharma a...
KHARTOUM, July 10 (Xinhua) -- It was 2 p.m. in a displacement camp on the outskirts of Port Sudan, where the relentless sun had already...
The 17th BRICS summit was more than a photo op. It was a coordinated rejection of Western power and a declaration of intent A few...
The 17th BRICS summit was more than a photo op. It was a coordinated rejection of Western power and a declaration of intent A few...
New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has revealed that legendary West Indies batter Brian Lara...
URUMQI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A total of 24 journalists from 23 countries have participated in a media tour of northwest China's Xinjiang...