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Why has it become impossible to park your bike in Paris?

undefined undefined 13 mars 2025 undefined 09h30

The Editor

© Hugo Dominguez / Le Bonbon

For the past few years, biking has been growing more and more popular in Paris, much to the delight of all the eco-friendly folks. But here's the catch: more bicycles on the streets also means less and less space for parking. A fierce battle has taken over the streets of the capital, thanks to outdated facilities and some misuse.

Will there ever be a day in Paris when you can calmly park your bike without having to do maneuvers in every direction and move half the vehicles that are already parked? Nothing is less certain. Despite the over 120,000 parking spaces dedicated to two-wheeled vehicles installed throughout the capital, the situation has recently reached a point of no return, prompting some Parisian officials to take action. Let us explain everything.


Bike racks from the Middle Ages

Did you know that in Lille, the space between two bike racks is 1 meter? In Lyon, there's 90 cm between two attachment points? This might not mean much to you, but for comparison, we can tell you that in Paris, these gaps measure on average only 55 centimeters. Yes, yes, you read that right!

u, 55 tiny (super tiny) centimeters. Just barely enough to fit two city bikes, and let's not even talk about the mess ever since some tanks (aka the fatbikes) rolled into the streets of Paris.

To go further, the Center for Studies and Expertise on Risks, the Environment, Mobility, and Urban Planning (Cerema) recommends at least 65 centimeters to safely hang up two little bikes without a fuss. And since there is no official regulation at the moment, the capital is managing just fine. While this topic is increasingly part of discussions about the place of bicycles in Paris, no concrete measures should be put in place in the coming months, or even years.


Users without a care (that we can't stand)

Another major downside of these parking spaces is the excessive use by some users. Two in particular: those who leave their bike tothrough abandonment for several weeks, and, worse still, users of free-floating bikes without a fixed docking point (here we mean Vélib'). So yes, we know, these Dotts and other Limes can only be left in defined areas. We still want to remind you that, unlike us poor owners who live in the perpetual fear of seeing our precious steeds stolen, you don’t need to lock them up!

As a result, it's not uncommon to have to muscle one of these bikes (which weigh a ton, just saying) just to squeeze your way through the bike racks. This situation frustrates quite a few people, and some Parisian elected officials are determined to take action. Some, like Alexis Govciyan, a representative from the 9th district, are calling for the suspension of the legislation that allows various users of these self-service bikes to leave their rides in these spots. Unfortunately, it seems that the city is also not ready to shift into high gear, and that's a real bummer.