Four percent of 1.4 million Parisians vote to make 500 streets car-free

Paris residents voted in a referendum on Sunday to make hundreds of streets car-free. With this measure, the left-wing city council wants to reduce car use further, improve air quality, and increase the quality of life in the French capital.

However, turnout was low: barely 4% of the 1.4 million residents bothered to vote. Two-thirds of Parisians voted favorably to make another 500 streets pedestrian-friendly, while 34% voted against.

‘Rues-jardin’

The plan to create 500 new so-called ‘garden streets’ – ‘rues-jardin’ — will eliminate 10% of Parisian surface parking, or 10,000 spaces, which is less popular.  This reduction is already taking place in particular neighborhoods, such as Montmartre, where the creation of a pedestrian area has raised eyebrows among local residents.

Some fear that the project will “kill accessibility,” while others complain that “streets are blocked on all sides, two-way streets have become ‘sense unique,’ and… everything is becoming complicated.”

“The project is not suited to the economic life of Paris. It’s good to think about the environment, but people need to work,” an anonymous citizen concludes.

Opponents

It is the third time since 2023 that Parisians have decided to make the city ‘greener’ and more pedestrian-friendly, having previously approved plans to triple parking fees for SUVs and ban rental scooters from the streets.

Opponents of the car ban argue that the chaos and crowds in the city will only increase because traffic has to be diverted, and they also doubt whether it will help reduce air pollution.

Paris less ‘green’ than other EU cities

The city council will soon ask residents which streets should be made car-free. The plan aims to remove cars from around 25 streets per arrondissement or administrative district. So far, 220 streets of Paris’ 6,000 roads have been made car-free, most of which are close to schools.

Since taking office in 2014, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has tried to fight congestion and improve air quality. Recently, she has limited traffic on one lane of Paris’ busy ring road to car sharing during rush hours and reduced the speed limit on the highway.

Compared to other major European cities, Paris is significantly less green. Just over a quarter of the capital consists of parks, gardens, water, and tree-lined streets, while the average for European capitals is 41 percent green.