Magenta Blvd- a very busy multimodal corridor connecting the Paris 9th & 10th arrondissements has one of the first protected/separated bike lanes built in the city. The corridor has gone through different phases of accommodating bicycle infrastructure since the early 2000s. The green paint was added in 2020 for better visibility and delineation.
With the Paris bicycle evolution currently happening, this corridor is now seen by most as in major need of an upgrade, and to potentially reconfigure the roadway to accommodate a safer 2-way facility.
This was my first experience biking the streets of Paris after first arriving and, although it was very narrow and bumpy at intersections, I loved it. Later in my visit, I got to ride the smoother/wider/newer facilities, but to me this was the epitome of navigating bicycle urbanism through the multimodal rush hour, with the pedestrians, scooters, trucks, taxis, bus stops, etc.
Even though the bike lane is sidewalk level, and mostly in between the pedestrian realm and the furniture/loading/transit waiting zones, pedestrians generally (not always) respect the narrow bicycle travel space by staying clear which, to me, represents an evolving world class cycling city.
#BicycleInfrastructure #ActiveTransportation #StreetDesign #BicycleUrbanism #Urbanism
1 Comment
Good job capturing the feeling of ridding a bike in Paris. Seems like the bike lane you were in was very narrow with no room to pass so it’s slow. Also it seems like other cyclists don’t yield or care if you’re coming and they just jump out right infront of you. Same with a few pedestrians. Those cyclists ridding in the car lanes seemed to figure it out. They were able to move much faster.