Paris: 140 km of new cycle paths and 420 secure intersections by 2032

Some 140 kilometers of new cycle paths, 420 additional secure crossroads, a brigade against “motorized violence”: the mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire unveiled on Wednesday the 2027-2032 “bike plan” for the capital, where cycling has exploded since 2020.

The socialist councilor will invest 200 million euros in this plan, the same level as under the mandate of his predecessor Anne Hidalgo, with the objective of “zero deaths, zero serious injuries” on the road. “We are going to continue the cycling revolution which maintains a modest modal share (11%) in travel in Paris” despite an increase of almost 50% in the practice between 2020 and 2025, explained Emmanuel Grégoire during a press conference.

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Rebalancing in western Paris to come

By 2032, 140 km of new cycle paths will be developed in inner Paris, which today has 454 km of paths, and where more than one in ten residents go to work by bike. Some 220 km of two-way cycle paths - one-way streets for cars but which bicycles can use in both directions - will also be developed. “It’s a first step, with commitments and concrete announcements,” Marion Soulet, spokesperson for the Paris en saddle association, responded to AFP, stressing that “80 km of cycle paths had been developed under the previous mandate”.

“For the rest of the mandate, we expect a necessary rebalancing in the west of the capital”, where the network is significantly less developed than in the east, she said, citing Boulevard Haussmann and Boulevard Malesherbes, only partially equipped with cycle paths, as well as Boulevard Saint-Germain which has none. The Nouveau Paris populaire group, co-chaired by Sophia Chikirou (LFI) and Emile Meunier (Verts populaire), for its part regretted in a press release a “budget down by at least 20%” compared to the 2021-2026 plan.

A brigade to fight against “motorized violence”

The City is committed to securing 420 additional intersections, including 56 from 2027, either by reviewing the design of the distribution between cycle paths, or with lighter improvements such as the installation of bollards. It will set up a brigade to fight against “motorized violence”, highlighted just two years ago by the death of cyclist Paul Varry, crushed by an SUV driver who will be tried for murder.

This municipal brigade, whose numbers are not yet known, will target “conduct endangering cyclists and pedestrians”, in particular fatbikes (bicycles with oversized tires) and unbridled electric scooters. “There will be fines, and we are asking to be able to destroy the bicycles and scooters seized for this type of offense,” added Mr. Grégoire, stressing that these vehicles could sometimes travel at more than 60 km/h. The City is also working with the police headquarters to secure the cycle path on Boulevard de Magenta (north-east), “which has become one of the most dangerous in Paris”.