Paris: 70 000 fewer parking spots by 2026

The City of Paris doubles down on its ambition to reduce the number of parking spaces in its streets by the end of the Mayor’s term in office in 2026. Armed with online study results of 16 500 respondents, Anne Hidalgo’s Green transport deputy, David Belliard (EÉLV), wishes to reduce the number of parking spots by around 70 000.

The politician says Parisians want those spaces to be replaced by composts, safe bicycle locks, urban furniture, and terraces. Mr. Belliard also wants to push the remaining vehicles into underground car parks.

Reduce by half

The City of Paris has already made its ambition public. It wants to reduce the number of street parking spaces by half by the end of the Mayor’s term in office in 2026. On the 140 000 current spots, that represents 70 000 spaces.

Paris isn’t the only capital with this ambition, pushed by a politic to get cars and vehicles out of cities and city centers. Brussels has a similar ambition and wants to construct park & ride facilities outside the city.

The Mayor’s Transport deputy, David Belliard (Europe Écologie Les Verts), has fingered their pulses with a survey asking, “What would you do with ten square meters in front of your house?” to see what the Parisians want. According to the politician, 58% of the respondents favor the parking spots’ cut.

Bike parks, compost, and benches

The deputy further develops that Parisians wish to replace the parking spaces with composts, safe bicycle locks, urban furniture, and terraces, leaving more space for pedestrians and cyclists.

For the other vehicles, which will still be able to drive in Paris until 2024 (diesel) or 2030 (any ICE car), the city plans to push them toward underground parking solutions. However, Paris doesn’t aim at discussing with car parks operators to lower rates, but more so at increasing the price of aboveground street parking.