Parisians have voted in favor of creating a car-free zone over a vast area in the French capital.
A clear majority of those who voted in Sunday’s referendum supported the plan, meaning that 500 streets in the city will be ‘greened’ and transformed into pedestrian areas.
As a result, up to 10,000 parking spaces could be eliminated in the coming years, and drivers will have to take detours, reported dpa on Monday.
Only 4% of the nearly 1.4 million registered voters participated in the referendum. 66% of them voted in favor of the measures, said Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
According to the municipality, consultations will begin in the coming weeks to determine which streets will be included in the pedestrianization initiative, with approximately 25 streets per arrondissement or administrative district planned.
In total, Paris has over 6,000 streets, of which around 220 are already car-free. In some cases, car access is not allowed in certain areas, such as near schools.
Sunday’s vote was the third referendum on transport issues in Paris in recent years, following those that led to the ban on electric scooters in April 2023, and the increase in parking fees for oversized vehicles in February 2024.
Paris has voted: 500 streets become pedestrian zones. 10,000 parking spaces eliminated
