Paris municipal elections: candidates outline their commitments on cycling

Almost one in two people travel by bicycle at least once a week on the 1.500 kilometers of cycle paths in the city, recalled Paris en selle in the preamble, which had invited four of the six candidates for City Hall to its "grand oral" in front of about 250 people.

"Since our first major public statement during the 2020 municipal elections, the number of cyclists has tripled," Marion Soulet, spokesperson for the association, explained to AFP.

Much remains to be done, as the 2020-2026 cycling plan adopted by the outgoing majority has only been 40% implemented: responding to growing demand, rebalancing facilities between the East and the West (less well equipped), making the roads more breathable for cyclists and pedestrians... And better securing them against "motorized violence" which affects nine out of ten cyclists, by committing to a "zero deaths, zero injuries" objective, recalls Paris en selle, whose activist, Paul Vary, was crushed by an SUV in 2024.

Emmanuel Grégoire, the candidate of the united left outside of LFI - the only one to come in person - presented his measures for a "100% cycle-friendly" Paris, starting with securing the 15 busiest bus lanes.

Anne Hidalgo's former first deputy also promises a "cooperative" for affordable rentals - including "cargo bikes" - and the creation of a "bike school" in each district.

New traffic plan

Maud Gatel, who came to represent the LR and MoDem candidate Rachida Dati, insisted on "the quality of the developments" which, according to her, have increased at the expense of safety, by revising the traffic plan.

Rachida Dati wants "to continue to increase the kilometers of tracks, bringing them to 1.800 km, with a budget level adapted to repair roads in poor condition," criticized the MoDem representative.

The right-wing candidate wants to "bury" car parking to "reclaim space" for bicycles, pedestrians, and green spaces. But without reducing the space allocated to cars, which irritated the audience gathered in the premises of a foundation in the Cité Universitaire.

"We can see that some people are uncomfortable with the reduction of space for cars, which is nevertheless essential to make room for bicycles," commented Marion Soulet.

For the Horizons and Renaissance candidate Pierre-Yves Bournazel, the High Commissioner for Planning Clément Beaune defended the creation of a municipal police unit specializing in the fight against offences and the doubling of the number of delivery spaces to prevent them from encroaching on cycle paths.

Speaking on behalf of the "anti-chaos" candidate, he also announced a "zero pothole" plan, of which RTL morning show presenter Thomas Sotto was recently a victim while cycling.

The ecologist Emile Meunier, representing the La France Insoumise candidate Sophia Chikirou, also stressed the need "to update the traffic plan which dates from 2007", and proposed the creation of a "public bicycle service", with the "takeover of Vélib' under municipal management".

The candidates were each called upon to commit to the areas not yet covered or to redevelop as a priority if they were elected in March, citing in no particular order the boulevards of Italiens and Saint-Germain on the left bank, Magenta, Malesherbes or the avenue Ledru-Rollin on the right bank.

Reconquête candidate Sarah Knafo and RN candidate Thierry Mariani were not invited.