Paris votes to ban cars from hundreds of streets
While the participation in the vote was less than impressive, the vote passed with 65 per cent of participating voters deciding in favour. A total of 34 per cent of voters rejected it, according to official figures. The French opposition to Mayor Anne Hildago’s party has already criticized the move as being too expensive, and will likely attempt to turn the regulation around should they win the 2026 election.
Once in effect, the referendum will see 10,000 parking spots eliminated, with another consultancy with residents to follow to determine which streets will become pedestrian areas. This will be added to the current 220 car-free streets in the French capital, which contains over 6,000 streets.
This is not the first effort Paris has made to make the city more pedestrian-friendly and less friendly to cars, as a ban on scooters was introduced in the summer of 2023, and a restriction for cars was introduced in the city centre towards the end of last year. Parking fees have also been amended to reflect the size of the vehicles, however this only applies to visitors.
Despite the new measures, Reuters reports that Paris still lags behind other European capitals in terms of green infrastructure, as the green areas in Paris only cover about 26 per cent of available land, compared to a European capital average of 41 per cent.
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