Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

The air was noticeably clearer yesterday over the city of Paris, where people walking, biking, skating, and otherwise getting around without a motor took over streets generally packed with cars, including the Champs Elysées.

About a third of Paris was free of motorized vehicles from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for buses and taxis. Car speeds were capped at 20 kilometers per hour in the rest of the city.

Mayor Anne Hidalgo, at the urging of activists, initiated the massive car-free event as a lead-in to the city hosting COP21, the United Nations' upcoming conference on climate change. Paris is plagued by diesel exhaust, and the skies over the city were noticeably bluer yesterday, according to the Guardian. The exhaust cleared. The rumble of traffic was gone. People seemed happier and less stressed.

One of the tens of thousands who took to the streets told the Guardian it was "like a headache lifting."

Camille Carnoz of the bike activist group Vélorution said she hopes the car-free day leads to permanent changes:

Today is symbolic, it’s about giving people a dream, showing us what a city could look like without cars, a type of utopia. But we need to go further, with more and larger cycle routes, better parking spots for bicycles, slower speed limits. There’s a lot to be done.

Here are a few more views of the day without cars.

Faire du foot sur les champs élysées A photo posted by Chloé (@chloemyrtille) on

#speedsail #skate #journeesansvoitures #ruederivoli #paris   A photo posted by Guido Romero Pierini (@guidoromeropierini) on

#journeesansvoitures A photo posted by Lucy Marchand (@luwith1y) on

#Paris #avenuedeschampselysees 27 septembre #journeesansvoitures #paris_maville @Paris @paris_maville   A photo posted by Sylvaine Caron Paris 19ème (@sylvainecaron) on

Drôles d'engins dans les rues de #paris aujourd'hui ! #journeesansvoitures #carsfreeday #insolite A photo posted by Héloise Fayet (@heloise.fayet) on

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Monday’s Headlines Keep on Moving, Don’t Stop

What if you could hop on a bus the same way you stepped onto a sidewalk? Fast Company has the answer.

May 12, 2025

Cyclist Launches Class Action Suit For Bogus NYPD Red Light Tickets

The NYPD keeps ignoring a law that allows cyclists to pass through a red light on the "Walk" sign. Now, someone is making a federal case about it.

May 12, 2025

Car Harms Monday: ‘Car Brain’ is the Demon Spawn of Car Dependency

Our policies, our budgets and our cultural narratives assume everyone can and does drive. That's car brain.

May 12, 2025

US DOT Says It’s ‘Getting America Building’ — But Leaves Transit and Safety In Limbo

The feds are finally giving out money again — but not everyone is getting their promised funds.

May 12, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again

Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.

May 9, 2025
See all posts