Paris To Ban Most Cars in 'Quiet Zone'

In an article in Fast Company, Adele Peters reports on a plan to make a section of downtown Paris 'car-light' by limiting the traffic that can pass through it. 

"The area, which the city is calling a zone apaisée or quiet zone, won’t be car-free—residents will still be able to drive there, and if someone is going to a store or art gallery or another destination in the area, they’ll still be able [to] arrive by car." Vehicles will be checked by police and, eventually, automated cameras. "Delivery drivers, taxis, buses, ridesharing vehicles, disabled people, and people going to work in the area will also be able to drive." But banning the more than 100,000 trips made by cars cutting through the zone, writes Peters, can make a significant dent in the neighborhood's air pollution.

Paris has been phasing out the most polluting diesel vehicles, and the government has said that it plans to ban all fossil fuel-powered vehicles by the end of the decade. But the city isn’t relying on electric cars to reach that goal; Instead, it’s working to shift drivers to bikes, walking, or public transportation, which can also improve safety by reducing accidents and open up room for more green space or other uses, improving quality of life.

The project isn't without its critics, notes Peters. "The city police department, which shares jurisdiction for the project, has opposed its immediate rollout, so the city slowed down its timeline. Local business owners have also opposed it, saying that they’re worried they’ll lose customers, though that’s unlikely to happen; in other cities where car traffic has been reduced, pedestrians and cyclists have replaced customers in cars."

Pierre Dornier, the France lead for the Clean Cities Campaign, told Fast Company that it's important for the city to complement the car-light zone with a citywide mobility plan that ensures traffic isn't simply diverted to other areas. According to Dornier, "Paris already has such a strong public transportation system that he thinks the low-traffic zone could be expanded across the whole city."