The 2024 Olympics are officially in full swing! As athletes take center stage and the world watches them compete, we're taking a look at the city that's hosting it all, in this Paris edition of Moving Cites.
Compared to many cities in the United States, Paris is more walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented, and has done so while decentering cars, which has benefited both quality of life and the environment.
To understand the Parisian rail network, it helps to understand the layout of the city. Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, or administrative districts (though 1-4 have been condensed into Paris Centre for administrative purposes). These districts connect to create three concentric ovals.
The metro lines, of which there are 16, follow these districts, and the rapid commuter rail (RER), which has five lines, together create a ring-radial system map. This is more comprehensive both in size and reach than many United States metros and subways. Cities in the United States have built out radial systems, or straight lines out from downtown. Conversely, highways in the United States are often laid out in a ring style. The rings make it easy to get from one place to another, regardless of starting point or destination.
Map of the Paris Metro
Because Paris combines ring and radial lines in addition to headways as low as 2 minutes during peak times, the train is a very attractive form of transit for residents and visitors.
However, like any good transit system, Paris has transit modes beyond just the metro and regional rail. Visitors and residents also have access to the Transilien, which connects the city to the rest of the Île-de-France region. Paris also has 8 tram lines and 350 bus lines. These bus routes offer both redundancy and additional service. While the metro opens at 5:30 AM and closes at 12:15 AM during the week and 1:15 AM on weekends, the night buses cover this gap, operating from 12:30 AM to 5:30 AM.
Mass transit is a great way to get around the city, but one of the most impressive parts about the Paris transit system is how they have improved the cycling network. Mayor Anne Hidalgo has implemented transformational changes to the city's bike network. The first phase of Paris' bicycle plan was implemented from 2015 to 2020 and involved an investment of over €150 million. The second phase, Bicycle Plan: Act 2 runs from 2021 to 2026, and has a goal of making Paris a 100% cycling friendly city with a complete cycle network. This includes not just creating more bike lanes, but also auxiliary bike infrastructure like racks, storage, and charging stations at advantageous locations.
The investment in cycling infrastructure has been successful thus far, with the share of people commuting by bike surpassing the share of people commuting by car in 2023, which is the first time the city hit this milestone.
Paris' interest in improving its cycling network also coincides with Paris Breathes, which is a program that closes streets to most motorized vehicles on certain days, promoting clean air in neighborhoods. While this is not a direct part of the mass transit system, it prioritizes pedestrians and their right of way, which moves the culture away from car dependency.
Another recent development in the transit network is how the city moved to reduce the number of SUVs. In February of 2024, the city voted to increase the parking fee for SUVs and cars over 1.6 tons. The cost of street parking in Paris already makes other modes of transportation more appealing, and these increases are part of a concerted effort to discourage large polluting vehicles from the city.
Paris is a city with excellent transit that fits its geography. The Olympics often pose several challenges for host cities, with a huge influx of tourists, visitors, and athletes. Paris has designed the games to ensure that all events are accessible via public transport. This is possible not just because of a robust network infrastructure, but also an increased investment to meet demand. Paris has committed an additional €200 million to increase metro and commuter rail trips by 15% during the games. This is subsidized by a single trip fare increase, which targets visitors, while not impacting residents with monthly or annual passes.
Moving Cities is a series of posts dedicated to exploring the vast diversity of cities and how their transit systems shape them. Moving Cities examines the organizational structure of transit in relation to the city, the economics of the transit system, and the role of the transit system in the economics of the city, and last, but certainly not least, the experience of the city from the perspective of the transit user.
Grace Hanoian | Ghanoian@econsultsolutions.com
Grace Hanoian is a Business Development and Marketing Associate at Econsult Solutions, where she supports the marketing and business development team by assisting with proposals, events, and social media. Also, Grace has experience working on political campaigns with communications and fundraising, and in state government.
