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In June, this massive Parisian boulevard witnessed more bicycles than cars passing by

undefined undefined 4 juillet 2024 undefined 18h09

The Editor

To find what looks like a "bike highway," head to the border of the 4 central districts. Boulevard Sébastopol is the proud winner of this unique prize, with a whopping 80,000 bikes passing through in just four days! This number probably doesn't shock the regular cyclists who use it daily. Last September, 540,000 bike lovers rode through the Boulevard Sébastopol cycle lane—a busy path indeed. And now, a new record is set for a week! According to Paris City Hall and their super sensors, 80,000 people biked through from Monday, June 24 to Thursday, June 27. There were peaks of 23,000 cyclists on certain days, while only 62,000 cars were counted over the same dates.

Hey there! Some good news for the planet, but maybe not so great for those who use this busy road every day. Yes, I'm talking about Boulevard Sébastopol, which is probably one of the worst spots in the city for riding a bike. It's super long and always jam-packed with people rushing around, trying to avoid collisions in the tight space. So, the boulevard becomes a symphony of bike bells and unfortunately, a hotspot for frequent accidents, although thankfully most of them are minor.


Cars are on the decline

Despite these challenges for cyclists and pedestrians, this is actually a positive development in line with current trends. Remember when we talked a few months back about fewer cars in the city? It's all part of creating a more sustainable, bike-friendly urban environment.

Today, we're excited to share that a new report reveals there are now more bicycles than cars in the capital for the first time ever. It's awesome to see people choosing eco-friendly transportation options, and even better to know that it's making a real impact on climate change. The city council reports a 40% decrease in pollution on Boulevard Sébastopol compared to 2011. How cool is that? 🚲🌍😊

Unfortunately, if the increase in the number of cyclists continues to accelerate (which we hope it will), it will become urgent to develop certain routes in the capital to the best of our ability. This means more welcoming paths, better designed and less congested. Starting with Boulevard Sébastopol, which this summer passed the symbolic milestone of 2 million users since its inauguration in 2019. But it will also require a monumental effort from all road users to be more civilized and respect each other. We are counting on you!