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A bike path opened in tribute to Paul Varry

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The Editor

© Hugo Dominguez / Le Bonbon

On October 15th, Paul Varry, a young 27-year-old cyclist, tragically lost his life after being struck by an SUV driver. Eight months later, the City of Paris honored him by inaugurating a two-way bike path in his name. This is a symbolic gesture, especially as the safety of all road users is increasingly at the heart of discussions.

It's halfway between the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements, just a stone's throw from the home of a young cyclist, that the City Hall of Paris unveiled this brand new bike lane on Tuesday, June 17, which will henceforth bear the name of Paul Varry. This is a strong move by the City, once again highlighting the increasing urgency to implement suitable infrastructure and to seek out real sustainable solutions for everyone's safety.


Paul Varry, a dedicated cyclist

« It was what he was fighting against that killed him.» These were the words of Matthieu Bony, a committed cyclist, speaking about Paul Varry last October. It's worth noting that the 27-year-old, a fan of bike commuting and a local representative of the association Paris en Selles, was tirelessly working day after day to improve traffic conditions in the capital and to make the center of the City of Light more accessible.

Welcome the bikers by the hundreds.

This is why, just a few days after his tragic and premature death, the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced her intention to rename a place in Paris linked to the little king in memory of the young man. And while Paul Varry is thus honored as a symbol of road violence, he is however far from being the only victim. Indeed, according to statistics from the National Interministerial Observatory of Road Safety, about 230 people lose their lives each year while riding bicycles in France.


Risks to Consider

So it is the brand new bike lane on Rue du 4-Septembre, between the Place de l’Opéra and Rue des Colonnes, that has been chosen for pay tribute. An inauguration that, we hope, is just the first step to make some progress in terms of road safety. As a reminder, following this incident, a detailed report created with members of specialized associations was made to identify the most dangerous locations and propose concrete solutions. However, for now, there are still far too many collisions between cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers on a daily basis.