New mayor plans to make Bordeaux car-free

Mr Hurmic, a member of green party Europe Écologie Les Verts, was recently elected mayor of the city.

In an interview with news source 20 Minuteshe said: “I don’t want to ban cars [in the city]…even if, in time I think we are moving towards a ban.”

Justifying his position, he added: “In city planning, 70% of roads are dedicated to cars, but car journeys only represent 29% of journeys in Bordeaux.”

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Measures to reduce car-use

However, he added, making the city car-free would be something that happened “gently”, beginning with measures to incentivise other forms of transport.

He envisaged prioritising walking and cycling in the city centre (secteur intra-boulevard), to progressively dissuade cars from entering the area.

The mayor also plans to increase the number of cycle lanes in Bordeaux by conserving those put in place during the Covid-19 crisis.

He said: “On the boulevards, I suggest cycle lanes that run the whole length rather than shorter sections. We need cycle lanes that are continuous and secure.”

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