Paris plans to reduce speed limit on outer ring road from 70 to 50km/h

Paris City Hall wants to further reduce the speed limit on the capital’s périphérique ring road from 70 to 50km/h.
The announcement came as officials presented a new climate plan for the city on Wednesday (November 22).

"We are making progress on the transformation of the périphérique, with the implementation of the lane dedicated to carpooling and public transport and the limitation to 50km/h on this major axis," said Dan Lert, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of ecological transition.

Paris wants to reduce environmental and noise pollution on this road, which varies between three and five lanes, and is used by 1.2 million people every day.

A document published by socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo’s office states that the city aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050.

The municipality states that at present the median speed on the 35-kilometre ring road around the capital is 50km/h during the day, and 30 to 45km/h during rush hour.

The speed limit had already been reduced from 90 to 80km/h in 1993 and then to 70km/h in 2014.

Reserved lanes for olympics

On its website, Paris City Hall specifies that the speed reduction is planned for after the Paris Olympics, from September 14, 2024.

During the summer an ‘olympic lane’ will allow athletes, officials and first aiders to travel from the accommodation sites to the competition sites in a safe and timely manner.

Read also: ‘Flying taxis’ for Paris 2024 Olympics meet council opposition

This concerns not only the ring road but also two sections of motorways in the Paris suburbs, on the A1 and A13. The left lane will be requisitioned in each direction, as needed.

The ‘olympic lane’ will not be physically separated from the other lanes of the ring road but ordinary drivers driving in the reserved lane will be detected by radar or video surveillance and fined €135.

Again, this measure is not temporary. After the Games, the athletes' lane will not return to normal, but will be repurposed and dedicated to public transport and carpooling.

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