Will it ever be possible in Paris to calmly park your bike without having to do maneuvers in every direction and move half of the vehicles already parked? It's hard to say! Despite the more than 120,000 parking spots dedicated to two-wheelers installed in the streets of the capital, the situation has recently reached a breaking point, prompting some Parisian officials to finally decide to take action!
Bikes Galore
In June, three bike-sharing operators won the City of Paris's call for bids, ensuring their presence in the streets of the City of Light for the next 4 years: Dott, Lime, and Voi, a newcomer that is set to hit the bike lanes starting October 2025. More and more little queens to take care of, yes indeed!
especially to be stored in the streets of Paris.#ConseilDeParis | @brigitte_kuster
— Union Capitale (@UnionCapitale) July 1, 2025
Le vélo en libre-service, oui — mais pas à n’importe quel prix.
👉 Encadrement rigoureux, meilleure régulation, qualité du service, respect des piétons, engagements sociaux : c’est ce que nous demandons pour un espace public mieux partagé… pic.twitter.com/eIkEWjLMxp
And this is where it hurts, especially for biking owners, who sometimes go through a nightmare trying to secure their rides on the street. If that's you, you've definitely found yourself having to awkwardly move one of those bikes (which weigh as much as a dead donkey, by the way) just to make your way along the bike racks (which are way too old, just saying). Luckily, this Tuesday, July 1st, the Paris Council decided to change things up, and that makes us so happy!
Stronger regulations
Just like it is right now, all these new bikes won't be able to stay...not abandoned just anywhere, but rather in designated parking zones. The big change, however, is that these will be much more monitored and potentially limited, to give priority to owners of private bikes at certain racks. The new restriction will specifically be implemented on the racks where the number of available spots is reduced.
A VÉLO TOUT N’EST PAS PERMIS !
— Gendarmerie du Cher (@Gendarmerie_018) August 25, 2021
Nous abordons aujourd’hui les infractions commises par les conducteurs de...vélos.
Le Code de la Route s’applique à tous les usagers y compris les cyclistes. Chaque infraction est passible d’une amende.
Ne vous croyez pas invisibles ! pic.twitter.com/Yhv33AzirW
This regulation has been approved by both left and right-wing officials, as well as by a good number of professional cyclists, we can imagine. However, some still lament that the controls don't go further, for instance through video enforcement of cyclists who do not follow the Highway Code on a daily basis. Regardless, this first measure is a small victory for many, and we celebrate it!