Paris Gets What it Wanted: Fewer Cars in the City

Simon MacMichael reports from Paris, where the number of automobiles operating in the city is on the decline.

"The first five months of 2018 have seen the number of vehicles fall 6.5 per cent against the comparable period last year," reports MacMichael, sharing figures released recently by the city. "February saw the sharpest drop, with 705 vehicles recorded per kilometre per hour, down 11.4 per cent on the same month in 2017."

"The figures are being hailed as continuing proof of city hall’s efforts to fight air pollution, including a reform of paid parking, and reflect an acceleration of an existing trend that saw traffic fall by 3 per cent from 2003 to 2014 and by 4 per cent in the subsequent two years," according to MacMichael.

The articles include a lot more detail on the vehicle numbers, including details like number of vehicles traveling during the morning and commute and along specific streets.