When Paris started dropping cars

[Art Deco]

New Study Shows How Paris Pedaled Its Way to a Cycling Revolution

Cycling through central Paris meant weaving between buses and scooters—a bold choice reserved for the fearless few.

momentummag.com

 

[zbikeman]

In 2005, I took my Bike Friday folding bike to Paris for a short trip. I was going to meet up with some friends on day 2 and they said they'd show me the town.

First day in Paris, I hit the streets with my bike.

Within 10 min. of starting out, I had something happen I didn't think possible.

I was riding about a foot from the curb. I felt/heard something on my right. Was just about to turn my head to the right when a scooter shot through that gap at 50mph.

It seems that motorcycles and scooters illegally used the far right lane to weave in and out of traffic, often at high speed.

For the rest of that trip, I hugged the curb like there was no tomorrow.

I met up with my friends the next day and told them what happened. They shrugged it off and said it happens all the time, just have to be ready for it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

In 2005, I took my Bike Friday folding bike to Paris for a short trip. I was going to meet up with some friends on day 2 and they said they'd show me the town.

First day in Paris, I hit the streets with my bike.

Within 10 min. of starting out, I had something happen I didn't think possible.

I was riding about a foot from the curb. I felt/heard something on my right. Was just about to turn my head to the right when a scooter shot through that gap at 50mph.

It seems that motorcycles and scooters illegally used the far right lane to weave in and out of traffic, often at high speed.

For the rest of that trip, I hugged the curb like there was no tomorrow.

I met up with my friends the next day and told them what happened. They shrugged it off and said it happens all the time, just have to be ready for it.

It was 20 years ago though

 

[Chargeride]

Now they kick you out the way

 

[Rás Cnoic]

In 2005, I took my Bike Friday folding bike to Paris for a short trip. I was going to meet up with some friends on day 2 and they said they'd show me the town.

First day in Paris, I hit the streets with my bike.

Within 10 min. of starting out, I had something happen I didn't think possible.

I was riding about a foot from the curb. I felt/heard something on my right. Was just about to turn my head to the right when a scooter shot through that gap at 50mph.

It seems that motorcycles and scooters illegally used the far right lane to weave in and out of traffic, often at high speed.

For the rest of that trip, I hugged the curb like there was no tomorrow.

I met up with my friends the next day and told them what happened. They shrugged it off and said it happens all the time, just have to be ready for it.

The revolution happened in Paris during and on since covid. In the old days I pitied anyone brave enough to cycle in Paris as it was a death trap. Shows you cities can change and become bike friendly it just takes political will power and good will.

In UK most of the press is at worst deeply antagonistic to cycling, at best ignores it as a small odd quirk. Yet thankfully London has slowly improved under Sadiq Khan the popular Lord Mayor (Plus just released data shows London has the lowest deaths from violence of any major international city- despite Musk & Trump painting London as some sort of third world civil war murder capital, total unashamed bullshitting lies!). Stats show in terms of commuting numbers, for the first time over 50% is cyclists over cars. This gives them more incentive to open more safe bike routes.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Plus just released data shows London has the lowest deaths from violence of any major international city

How about Warsaw.
I like your post and agree with your thoughts.

London is a nice place for cycling only a lot more needs to be done. In my opinion, getting from A to B in London is the fastest when done on a bike except really distant locations.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

.London is a nice place for cycling only a lot more needs to be done. In my opinion, getting from A to B in London is the fastest when done on a bike except really distant locations.

Problem is what to do with the bike when you get to your destination. Take it up to the office? Chain it to a lamp post and hope it’s still there when you come out?

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Problem is what to do with the bike when you get to your destination. Take it up to the office? Chain it to a lamp post and hope it’s still there when you come out?

That is the issue. Despite what Ras says, London is not safe. That's why so many people in London rent Lime/Uber or Forest public share e-bikes.
(Interestingly, there is no violence in Warsaw Poland but bikes are still stolen, too.)

 

[Rás Cnoic]

How about Warsaw.
I like your post and agree with your thoughts.

London is a nice place for cycling only a lot more needs to be done. In my opinion, getting from A to B in London is the fastest when done on a bike except really distant locations.

Been riding in London since the early 90s, always have had a great time cycling/commuting/getting around, even was a bike courier (for a short spell!) but it's amazing how many bike routes, super highways there are since back then. And just how many people cycling compared to then, its fantastic. And this, as I say, in a country, unlike France & Paris where cars are king and bikes constantly attacked so the changes haven't been done in a wave of publicity like in Paris. If dickhead Farage & the far right get in in 4 years time I dread to think of his crusade against cycling - and everything/everyone else.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Stefan Mikes said:
How about Warsaw.
I like your post and agree with your thoughts.

Dunno about Warsaw:

 

[RunForTheHills]

Theft is a problem for any utility use of ebikes. With analog bikes, you could just use an old beater that no one would want to steal, lock it up next to a nicer bike, and hope the thieves leave yours alone. Maybe that strategy would still work with a Walmart ebike. Most ebikes look and are expensive. When I ride my bike to work, I previously used a bike locker I rented from the building and my current employer allows me to just bring it into the office. Although I walk most of the time now since it is less than a mile. That isn't an option at the grocery store. But if you just run in for a few minutes to an hour and use a quality U-lock it is probably pretty safe. If you leave your bike out all night in a major city, you are most likely going to lose it.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Been riding in London since the early 90s, always have had a great time cycling/commuting/getting around, even was a bike courier (for a short spell!) but it's amazing how many bike routes, super highways there are since back then.

I recommend trying London Bridge It is a survival game. Yes, there are many places in London where cycling is safe (the bike path system in Battersea is just fantastic!) but there are a way more places where you need to ride with traffic, and that's not safe. FYI, I did 11 then 12 cycling capable bridges of London in October 2024, all the way from Tower Bridge to Wandsworth Bridge with occasional deviations to Westminster or Lambeth or Nine Elms. So I can say a word or two how it looks like in London nowadays. (I had more rides earlier but none that long).

The 26th of October, 11 bridges.

The 27th of October, 12 bridges.

Dunno about Warsaw:

This article only compares violence between London and NYC, LA, Houston and Philly as well as Brussels, Paris and Berlin. Not enough to generalise:

London has the lowest deaths from violence of any major international city-

So it is 1.1 for London and 0.68 for Poland. Thoughts?

I know London is not safe. A city where a gunman with a sawn-off shotgun runs into the crowd or where young people are so often killed with knives is not safe.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

My experience in southern France is that cyclists are well respected. But I don't cycle in cities. My experience in Paris is that as a pedestrian, nowadays you have to be EXTREMELY careful because bikes and scooters are silently speeding past you and across your bow - - you don't hear them coming and you're just an obstacle in their video game of crossing the city on 2 wheels.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I recommend trying London Bridge It is a survival game. Yes, there are many places in London where cycling is safe (the bike path system in Battersea is just fantastic!) but there are a way more places where you need to ride with traffic, and that's not safe. FYI, I did 11 then 12 cycling capable bridges of London in October 2024, all the way from Tower Bridge to Wandsworth Bridge with occasional deviations to Westminster or Lambeth or Nine Elms. So I can say a word or two how it looks like in London nowadays. (I had more rides earlier but none that long).

View attachment 204587
The 26th of October, 11 bridges.

View attachment 204588
The 27th of October, 12 bridges.


This article only compares violence between London and NYC, LA, Houston and Philly as well as Brussels, Paris and Berlin. Not enough to generalise:

View attachment 204589
So it is 1.1 for London and 0.68 for Poland.

I know London is not safe. A city where a gunman with a sawn-off shotgun runs into the crowd or where young people are so often killed with knives is not safe.

Jesus. Why is everything a competition for you Stefan? Who gives a s*it. Really. I mentioned the (actual) crime statistics for London not to boast or to say London is better but because, and you might be oblivious to the fact that London and its Mayor is under sustained and vicious attack almost daily from Trump and from Musk pumping out a constant stream of lies about London and I hate these fucking lies. I know London for over 30 years.

This has ZERO to do with Poland. I couldn't care less the crime statistics there. The important bit is that Trump says for years knife and gun crime is sky high in London it's a war zone and it's not, with a city of 9.1 million people It's remarkably safe. Actual facts now prove this. Like he's saying Minnesota is dangerous because of the Somalis, everything has a racial bias for this orange prick. Somali Americans or Muslim Lord Mayor in London it all ties in to an evil plot for him and his puppetmasters. And gullible people lap this shite up. I was in Minneapolis several years ago. Great place. Loved it. Fantastic people. I'm sick of the disinformation and I tell you if I stumble across a magic vase in a dark cave and the genie gives me three wishes the first will be to ban all social media until they are legally classed as publishers and are forced to remove every bot, every troll and every single lie. And the owners thrown into prison for destroying democracy in the name of greed.

There, rant over.

Obviously the other two wishes would be bikes...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

London and its Mayor is under sustained and vicious attack almost daily from Trump and from Musk pumping out a constant stream of lies about London and I hate these fucking lies.

The Orange Monkey With Razor and The Nazi do a way more than just this.

I just said your sentence was a generalisation. You could have told what you think without referring to "any major international city". What about Hong Kong? Delhi? Tokyo? Sydney?
Also please do not say London is safe. Yes, it is probably the safest London ever but calling is "safe" is ridiculous. Have you been to Peckham, perhaps? Or, that man with the shotgun who run into @Brix next to the Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton. The gangster was in pursuit of other gangsters. Or, Old Kent Road. A broken window at the barber's and a lot of blood around. A police van standing there all the night. As we walked back to our hotel at 3 a.m. (quite tipsy), I engaged in a chat with a group locals. Their comment: "What is a little fight in South London on the Saturday night? Nothing, haha!". Now, a female can safely walk the streets of Warsaw at night and nothing wrong would happen!

London is a good place for cycling but it is even not close to the cycling infrastructure we have in Warsaw. You can ride from the very South to the very North or West to East of the city entirely on bike paths. Not doable in London. Why? It is because Warsaw was razed to the ground during WWII, which allowed building a new city with a way more space. Big part of London was bombed during the Blitz as well but a big deal of the infrastructure left intact. Making the bike infrastructure in London a way more difficult.

Now please tell me with what points of mine you disagree.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I rode around Paris a good bit for a few days a year ago, on Lime rental bikes and was quite comfortable with the bike lanes and traffic. For me, it was a good experience and maybe the best way to get around. No parking or theft worries with rental bikes.

 

[ChezCheese:)]

I haven't ridden a bike in Paris, I am only speaking from the point of view of a pedestrian.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

I haven't ridden a bike in Paris, I am only speaking from the point of view of a pedestrian.

I understand. But I was also a pedestrian a good bit of the time. I get what you're saying, but I didn't notice a problem. Just normal due diligence when crossing streets, etc., for me. I didn't get into all parts of the city though.

 

[mschwett]

Jesus. Why is everything a competition for you Stefan? Who gives a s*it. Really. I mentioned the (actual) crime statistics for London not to boast or to say London is better but because, and you might be oblivious to the fact that London and its Mayor is under sustained and vicious attack almost daily from Trump and from Musk pumping out a constant stream of lies about London and I hate these fucking lies. I know London for over 30 years.

This has ZERO to do with Poland. I couldn't care less the crime statistics there. The important bit is that Trump says for years knife and gun crime is sky high in London it's a war zone and it's not, with a city of 9.1 million people It's remarkably safe. Actual facts now prove this. Like he's saying Minnesota is dangerous because of the Somalis, everything has a racial bias for this orange prick. Somali Americans or Muslim Lord Mayor in London it all ties in to an evil plot for him and his puppetmasters. And gullible people lap this shite up. I was in Minneapolis several years ago. Great place. Loved it. Fantastic people. I'm sick of the disinformation and I tell you if I stumble across a magic vase in a dark cave and the genie gives me three wishes the first will be to ban all social media until they are legally classed as publishers and are forced to remove every bot, every troll and every single lie. And the owners thrown into prison for destroying democracy in the name of greed.

There, rant over.

Obviously the other two wishes would be bikes...

we had a bit of the same problem with left-wing / progressive Americans cities. fox news, republican politicians, and right wing social media characters go on and on about democratic failure to govern and provide public safety. but the facts are very, very different, particularly for San Francisco which was the most common target (due to prominent liberal politicians and extreme wealth)

last year there were 34 homicides, an exceptionally low number for an American city, especially one whose city limits does not include its suburbs.

 

[mschwett]

Problem is what to do with the bike when you get to your destination. Take it up to the office? Chain it to a lamp post and hope it’s still there when you come out?

park it in the bike room at the office. required by law for major buildings in many civilized places. fits about 40x as many parking spaces per square foot as automibile parking.