Transport policy in France: Paris introduces Tempo 30 almost everywhere

Less noise, fewer fatal accidents – and the majority of citizens want it this way: As of today, most streets in Paris have a speed limit of 30 km / h. Conservatives are in storm.

Entering Paris – from now on you will be greeted with a 30 km / h sign. David Belliard, the green alderman in the town hall for the redesign of the public space, justifies the measure as follows: “We are responding to expectations that even exceed our goals.” The city dwellers wanted safe bike paths, wider sidewalks, a quieter city “where they could take their children to school – without fear that a car driving too fast would run them around them”.

Majority for Tempo 30

The city cites a survey, according to which almost 60 percent of Parisians are more or less for Tempo 30. And the World Health Organization: A collision with a 50 km / h car is 80 percent fatal for a pedestrian. At 30 kilometers per hour, on the other hand, only ten percent.

With the speed limit, the socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo vies for the Greens. If she runs for the presidential election in 2022, she will have to rely on their votes. Ex-Environment Minister Delphine Batho is already on her side: “30 km / h – that is also a measure against noise. This is never discussed in France. Noise is a public health problem.”

The city argues that the noise is reduced by three decibels, which residents feel like halving. The German Federal Environment Agency also confirms the effect.

Conservatives on the barricades

Wrong, says the French association “40 million drivers”. Managing director Pierre Chasseray criticized Tempo 30 in Paris when it was still a promise before the re-election of the mayor: “This is a grotesque, stupid measure that turns citizens against each other. But the media go for it.”

The Tempo 30 opponents have one more argument. The public environmental research institute Cerema reports: At 30 km / h, CO2 emissions are almost 20 percent higher than at 50 km / h. And pulls out of the affair on the Internet, but that doesn’t allow you to correctly evaluate public transport policy.

The conservative opposition leader in the Paris city council, Rachida Dati, is storming. “Madame Hidalgo’s traffic policy means there are even night traffic jams. The term is used by a satirical newspaper.” And traffic jams led to more emissions. “Otherwise, she wants 100 percent bicycles. That is anarchy,” says Dati: “Today in Paris the motto is: pedestrians against e-scooters, cars against bicycles.” We have to regulate better and align ourselves with reality.

70,000 fewer parking spaces

The turnaround in traffic in Paris began in 2007 with Velib bike rental. In 2020, 60 kilometers of Corona bike paths were added. In the near future, the historic center will be car-free, diesel will be banned and half of the 140,000 parking spaces will be eliminated.

Five years ago, the green ruled alpine city of Grenoble was France’s pioneer at speed 30. Road traffic has been reduced here. Paris was not bad in the race either. Because so far the limit was already in place on almost 60 percent of the roads. Some boulevards, including the Champs Elysées and the promenades along the Seine, stay at 50 km / h. The city motorway at 70 km / h.

Viewed objectively, 30 km / h in Paris does not seem realistic anyway: the average speed is just 15 km / h.