Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Paris

Champs-Élysées Makeover Inspires U.S. Advocates

By Kea Wilson | Jan 12, 2021 | No Comments

As Parisians celebrate a new plan to pedestrianize the Champs-Élysées and cut car traffic in half, Americans street safety advocates demand redesigns for their own cities' dangerous downtown arteries.

On Sunday, streets all over Paris belonged to people biking, walking, and riding transit. Photo: City of Paris

The Joy and Freedom of a City Without Car Traffic

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 2, 2017 | 67 Comments

On Sunday, streets all over Paris belonged to people biking, walking, and riding transit.

At Bourg-la-Reine, outside Paris, the rail station is surrounded by dense, mixed-use development and walkable streets. Image: Google Maps

What American Commuter Rail Can Learn From Paris, Part 2

By Alon Levy | Feb 15, 2017 | 14 Comments

In Europe it's common for regional rail systems to get ridership comparable to that of the subway in the central city. But in America, this is unheard of. One reason for the discrepancy is land use: American commuter rail stations are typically surrounded by parking, while in the Paris region you see a different pattern with ample development next to suburban train stations.

What American Commuter Rail Can Learn From Paris

By Alon Levy | Feb 13, 2017 | 36 Comments

In the U.S., regional rail is mostly good for one type of trip: the commute. But in Paris, regional rail is oriented toward all types of trips, and people ride throughout the day, not just at rush hour. One key to success is running frequent, predictable service all day long.

The plan for local transit lines connecting to the new Bordeaux Saint Jean Belcie HSR station. Map: < a href="http://www.bordeaux-euratlantique.fr/territoire-de-projets/projet-st-jean-belcier/">Bordeaux Euratlantique

Talking Headways: How France Melds High-Speed Rail With Cities, Part 2

By Jeff Wood | Feb 10, 2017 | No Comments

Part two of our discussion of French high-speed rail and cities covers how France approaches infrastructure projects of national significance, the challenges of building the Grand Paris Express rail expansion, and the latent opportunities of San Jose's Diridon station.

Adieu, Cars: Paris Riverfront to Be Permanently Returned to the People

By Angie Schmitt | Sep 28, 2016 | 8 Comments

After years of experimentation, the Paris City Council this week committed to the permanent conversion of two miles of the Georges Pompidou expressway along the River Seine into a waterfront park. The 1960s expressway carried two lanes of traffic and about 43,000 vehicles a day along the Right Bank of the river. But beginning in 2011, the highway […]

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