Standoff around the ring road. Paris City Hall intends to reduce the speed on this road which surrounds the capital from 70 km/h to 50 km/h, despite the government’s opposition, expressed Thursday October 7 by the Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune.
“I confirm that we will lower the speed”declared during a press conference the first deputy at Paris City Hall, Emmanuel Grégoire, who recalls that a mayor “may, within the framework of its police powers, reduce speed on the grounds of safety or the environment”.
“Our analysis is that we can lower the speed for environmental issues as we wish”Anne Hidalgo’s deputy told Agence France-Presse, saying it was based on a “interpretation of the law” of the Minister of the Interior in a writing dating back to 2019. “The only segment” of the ring road on which the government “can decide the speed, it’s around Balard”due to the Ministry of Defense building being classified as a sensitive site, he assured.
Earlier, Mr. Beaune had detailed the State’s opposition to the project that the municipality intends to implement after the Olympic Games (OG). “I think it’s not a good idea in the short term to have this speed limit” And “at the end of 2024, we will not make the decision, we will not [la] will not validate »he explained on Franceinfo.
Reduce pollution and noise pollution
Paris City Hall announced at the end of November its desire to limit speed on the ring road after the 2024 Olympics, in addition to reserving one of the lanes for carpooling – a revolution supposed to protect the environment but which has since sparked strong criticism. political controversy. The ring road, one of the main urban axes in Europe, is used every day by 1.2 million vehicles, the majority from Ile-de-France, and 80% of which travel with their driver as the sole occupant.
This new speed limit aims to make traffic flow more smoothly on this very congested route, by encouraging Ile-de-France residents to avoid “self-driving” and to use public transport. This measure mainly aims to reduce pollution and noise pollution, particularly at night, for the 500,000 people who live in the immediate vicinity of this axis, often in working-class neighborhoods, according to Paris City Hall.
The maximum speed authorized on this 35-kilometer road belt, which has surrounded the capital since 1973, had already increased from 90 km/h to 80 km/h in 1993, then to 70 km/h in 2014. Since 2021, the speed has , moreover, was limited to 30 km/h on most of the streets of the capital.
If the device “is managed by the City of Paris”a change in the speed limit requires “obviously a validation of the State”argued Mr. Beaune, saying however ” open “ to the idea of a reserved lane. “I think the reserved lane is a good thing”, he noted. But if, at the same time, the speed limit increased to 50 km/h, “I think you’re going to drive people crazy.”he continued.