Paris introduces a 50 km/h speed limit on the motorway - and declares war on SUVs
On the Paris ring road Périphérique, the maximum speed limit will soon be reduced from 70 kilometers per hour to 50 kilometers per hour. The measure is part of a large-scale climate protection plan recently presented by the city of Paris. The goal of the new speed limit on the 35-kilometer urban highway is to drastically reduce pollution from car traffic, the municipality announced. The new speed limit is set to take effect after the Olympic Games in Paris, starting in September next year. Additionally, one lane on the ring road will be reserved for taxis, buses, and carpooling. During the Games, this lane will also be reserved for athletes. After completing various consultation phases, and pending an agreement with the state and in accordance with decisions made on the A1 and A13 highways, the city of Paris plans to introduce the following measures.
Every day, approximately 1.5 million cars travel on the city highway, making it one of the busiest roads in Europe, where traffic frequently jams. The maximum speed is generally only 50 km/h on average and 35 to 40 km/h during rush hours, so little will change for drivers. To promote more climate protection, the city also plans to remove 60,000 parking spaces and convert them into green spaces. Additionally, 180 kilometers of new bike lanes and 130,000 bicycle parking spots are planned by 2026. Starting in 2024, the city also intends to ban tour buses with tourists from the city center. Tour bus passengers will then have to switch to public transport on the outskirts of the city.
Furthermore, the Paris City Council recently passed a novel regulation with a unanimous vote that aims to adjust parking fees based on the car model. As a result, from January 2024, SUV owners will have to expect higher parking fees. This measure is intended to curb the use of SUVs in the French capital and reduce the city's carbon footprint. The progressive pricing structure will take into account criteria such as the vehicle's weight, size, and parking duration, as well as the engine's environmental friendliness. There will be exceptions for large families and low-income individuals. In fact, almost half of all SUVs in France were registered in Paris in 2019. David Belliard, Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for the transformation of public spaces and mobility, supports this measure and emphasized in a tweet that "SUVs counteract the city's adaptation to climate change." In his view, these vehicles are not only useless in an urban environment but also "dangerous, bulky, and expensive to manufacture."
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