Paris Cycling Chaos: Election Divides City Over Bike Lanes & Traffic

The air is thick with the sound of bicycle bells and frustrated car horns on Boulevard de Sébastopol in Paris, just before 6 p.m. Cyclists stream in both directions on the two-lane bike path that runs alongside the street, a tight squeeze where overtaking is a risky maneuver. Yet many attempt it. Further up the boulevard, at the intersection with Rue Réaumur, cyclists weave precariously between cars and buses, some running red lights to the accompaniment of angry honking and shouted reprimands. The din is punctuated by the wail of a police siren, also struggling to navigate the congestion.

A counter registered 9,264 cyclists passing a single point on Boulevard de Sébastopol at 5:15 p.m. On this day, just before the evening rush, which peaks around 6 p.m. A total of 662,127 cyclists had passed that point throughout the year, according to data collected at the location.

“It’s a catastrophe!” exclaimed Outhmane, a 60-year-old taxi driver, shaking his head. “I want things to move back to how they were.” He reminisced about a time when dedicated bike lanes were scarce in Paris. “I’ve been a taxi driver for 30 years and I’ve never seen the city so dirty and chaotic. The cyclists respect nothing. Not even the pedestrians know how to behave anymore. They just step out into the street – honestly, people aren’t civilized anymore,” he said.

“The worst are the Uber drivers on their electric bikes. They can go 40 kilometers an hour or more, and they respect nothing,” Outhmane added.

Across the boulevard, Charlotte Nenner, a candidate for the Green party (Les Écologistes) in the upcoming local elections, watched the flow of traffic. She readily acknowledged the increased tension. “We demand to learn to live together, and to teach the rules of the road in schools. But the reason it looks like this is primarily because there are too many bikes for too little space. The best way to solve it is to build more bike lanes. Here on Boulevard de Sébastopol, we in the left-wing coalition propose building another two-lane bike path, on the other side of the street,” Nenner stated, pointing towards the taxi rank where Outhmane was waiting for a fare. “There’s room, you just have to accept it!”

“It’s good that you can cycle, because it’s cheaper than taking the car or public transport,” said Pierre Tahai, 53, an unemployed man, as Nenner handed out leaflets.

Sunday’s mayoral election presents voters with two distinct visions for the city. Emmanuel Grégoire, the Socialist party candidate, is campaigning on a platform of building more bike lanes, continuing the policy of outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo. He has the support of the Green party and the Communist party.

Facing Grégoire is Rachida Dati, a right-wing politician and former Minister of Culture, who wants to slow down the expansion and restore order to traffic with stricter rules for cyclists. “I want peace and quiet in the public space and for traffic to flow as it should,” said Dati, who has served as an elected official in the 7th arrondissement, home to the Eiffel Tower, and has been a vocal opponent of bike lanes.

Nenner expressed concern. “If the right wins, I think there will be a complete halt to measures aimed at limiting car traffic and increasing cycling.” She has been involved in efforts that have seen the number of bike lanes in Paris increase sixfold since 2001 – from 25 to a total of 150 miles. Simultaneously, car traffic has halved and air quality has improved significantly.

Nine percent of Parisians now cycle to work every day, a significant shift in the city’s transportation habits.

In 2016, cycling in Paris still felt isolating and precarious. Despite the introduction of the Vélib bike-sharing system in 2007, it wasn’t until the late autumn of 2019 that Parisians began to embrace cycling in large numbers. A prolonged public transport strike forced thousands of Parisians to cycle to school and work for several weeks. When the pandemic struck in March 2020, many continued to cycle to avoid crowded subways.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo seized the opportunity, painting white lines and bike symbols on hundreds of streets to grant cyclists priority. In the following months, bike lanes with physical barriers were built on streets like Rue de Rivoli, in front of the Louvre. Several squares and roundabouts have been made greener and equipped with cycling infrastructure, and around 300 compact streets near schools are now completely car-free. A network of bike paths connects different parts of Paris, and bike racks are available on almost every street corner.

The problem, however, is the sheer number of cyclists. Pierre, 21, who lives in the suburbs of Paris, is glad he can cycle to his job in the city center. “It’s become difficult to find rental bikes, and they are often broken. So things aren’t quite working as they should. But the chaos in traffic, well, that’s just Paris – a little bit of the charm!” he said at a red light.

Judith, 26, offered a different perspective: “I like the bike lanes, but I think they should have been planned better. There’s a bit of an aggressive atmosphere now. Those who can’t or don’t dare to cycle, like the elderly or people with disabilities, also need alternatives, such as more buses and subway trains.”

Traffic accidents are generally decreasing in Paris, but several cyclists have died in high-profile accidents in recent months.

Rachida Dati argues that the rapid expansion of bike lanes has led to dangerous chaos in traffic. She has formed an alliance with Pierre-Yves Bournazel, a centrist candidate, who wants to create a new traffic police force for bike paths.

If Dati can also attract some of Sarah Knafo’s voters, it could have a significant impact on Sunday. Knafo withdrew her candidacy after receiving 10 percent of the vote in the first round. She had previously called for the reintroduction of car traffic on the quays of the Seine.

Ulf Clerwall, who has been a Green party councilor in the 10th arrondissement for the past six years, warned of the threat to the left-wing’s 25-year hold on power in Paris. “Emmanuel Grégoire’s refusal to ally with Sophia Chikirou is tragic – and a big mistake. Now there is a risk that this city will get a right-wing government instead.”

As of today, Chikirou has not withdrawn from the race. In practice, this means that Grégoire is likely to lose many left-wing votes.

In the intersections, bicycles and pedestrians cross paths haphazardly.