The City Center In Paris Is Now Designated A Limited Traffic Zone – CleanTechnica

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

---

Many citizens in Paris were caught off-guard on November 5 when a new ban on motorists in the first four arrondissements of central Paris came into effect. As they looked around their city neighborhoods, residents could see nearly forty signs for the ‘Zone à Trafic Limité’ (ZTL) — or “limited traffic zone.”

The area is about 5.5 square kilometers (about two square miles) and home to nearly 100,000 people and 11,000 businesses. Iconic spots like the Louvre, Tuileries gardens, and much of the Marais fall within the ZTL.

The ZTL is considered part of a larger initiative by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to cut pollution and congestion. Hundreds of kilometers of new cycle paths have opened in recent years to support alternative transportation.

The idea is that the ZTL will prompt people to switch from private vehicles to cycling and public transport; it should free up what is currently a thickly trafficked city. The air in Paris is currently ranked as moderately polluted with a fine particulate matter of 10.5 μg/m3, according to the New European Environment Agency. To protect health, the World Health Organisation recommends a maximum level of 5 μg/m3 for long-term exposure.

Currently, between 350,000 and 500,000 vehicles enter the ZTL every day, and up to 50% of that number are vehicles who are crossing the city center on their way to other locations. With the goal of more traffic-free streets — or at least streets with fewer vehicles — noise and air pollution in the capital’s center should be reduced. The busy city street of Avenue de l’Opéra is expected to experience a 30% traffic reduction, and Boulevard de Sébastopol may see up to a 15% decrease.

Ariel Weil, the mayor of Paris Center — the city’s central arrondissements — stood at the foot of the stepladder, alongside three of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s deputies, as the first signs declaring the ZRL were raised. The signs have a white circle with a red border on a white background and inform drivers where the restrictions begin.

“This is the first ZTL in Paris, but not the first in France, nor in Europe. Italy has done it, and now it’s our turn,” Weil described. “We no longer want the center of the capital to be a shortcut to travel across France and Europe.”

A hundred panels are set to appear around the cityscape. The first type of sign indicates entry into the zone and will cover Paris Center, with the exception of the Ile Saint-Louis and Ile de la Cité islands. Another type of sign will warn drivers and motorcyclists they approaching the zone, and a third will inform drivers that they are leaving it.

There will be exceptions to the Paris city core vehicle ban, though.

• Emergency vehicles, buses, and taxis will be permitted.
• So, too, will people with reduced mobility.
• Motorists residing or working in the area will be allowed to drive through the ZTL.
• Drivers who have a destination in the ZTL, such as a doctor’s office, shopping, dining, or theater tickets, will be allowed to drive into the city center.

Because of the large number of exceptions, CCTV cameras cannot discern violators. Messaging through visible signage, random checks, and online press releases will have an educational rather than punitive objective. Volunteer teams are also planned to help inform motorists about the new rules. They’ll clarify the vehicles allowed, and help with the transition to the new traffic management system. Video technology software is yet to be tested to determine which drivers actually break the new rules.

Enforcement of the ban as necessary will be scaffolded. First, police will alert drivers who try to enter the French capital’s central four arrondissements. The first six months will be what Paris police call a “pedagogical period,” where rule-breaking vehicles may be stopped and advised of the rules they are breaking. After six months, however, offending drivers will be liable for a fine of €135 ($147 USD).

Interestingly, electric vehicles are not automatically exempt and will still be subject to restrictions, unless the driver has a valid reason for passing through. This is because the rules are not only in place for pollution reasons but largely to minimize traffic congestion in the ZTL.

For many Parisians and visitors, it’s a welcome step towards a cleaner, greener city. L’Institut Paris Région carried out a survey for a consortium of fourteen public and private partners, including local government, earlier this year. It found that cars are now a minority in many parts of Paris. A study of people visiting shops in central Paris found that 54% arrived by public transport, 34% on foot, 7% by cycle, and just 2% by car.

Critics of the new plan say that the River Seine has no visible controls or checks along its banks, and others poo-poo the entire plan as unenforceable. Some opponents forecast traffic jams, disruptions, and fewer overall pedestrians patronizing what is a key commercial area. The Guardian reports that many motorists resent the changes, which have radically reduced the space available for cars on many thoroughfares and been accompanied by other steps to cut car use such as increased inner-city parking fees.

David Belliard, the environmentalist deputy in charge of transport at the city hall, refuted the naysayers’ complaints, arguing that the ZTL should have little to no impact on the city’s cultural attractions and shops. Patrick Bloche, Hidalgo’s first deputy, also chimed in, noting, “There’s nothing revolutionary about these signs, they’re everywhere in Italy.”

This isn’t the first time that drivers in Paris have found their transportation freedoms placed in check.

• In 2017 controls on older vehicles included requiring all to gain a permit to drive in the city and a ban on the oldest and dirtiest.
• Then Paris switched a major car route into pedestrian zones beside the Seine quays, even though the area had been used for cars since the late 1960s.
• The following year, all of Paris — the city center and its outskirts — banned older diesel-powered cars.
• In 2022, the Rue de Rivoli — central Paris’ main east-west axis — no longer allowed most cars and, instead, created a central bike highway and pedestrian promenade.
• New fees for oversized vehicles like SUVs have dissuaded other drivers from entering the city center.