10 Days to Cross the Ring Road at 50 km/h

There will be neither public debate nor consultation. Just a brief statement to inform us that the chaos is happening tomorrow.

No great analysis is ultimately necessary to read the press release received this evening from the Ministry of Transport. “Regarding the reduction of speed to 50 km/h on the ring road, the Mayor of Paris acknowledges, regrettably, the minister’s disagreement but will implement the measure on October 1st.” This is how you say that external opinions have absolutely no importance when a unilateral decision has been made. But since the press release comes from our new Minister of Transport, Mr. François Durovray, we hope for a sharp retort or at least a willingness to debate. Not at all, and to prove it: “The minister regrets this decision which will affect millions of Parisians. He recalls that no impact study exists on this subject. Respectful of the autonomy of local authorities, he acknowledges that this decision legally rests solely with the Mayor of Paris.”

Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 1st, the inner ring road, which borders Paris, will be limited to 50 km/h instead of 70 km/h on the stretch that runs from the Porte des Lilas in the northeast to the Porte d’Orléans in the south. It will then take six nights to install the new signage, which will naturally lead to the closure of certain lanes, and even complete sections. On the morning of October 10th, the entire 35 km of the Paris ring road will be limited to 50 km/h.

The City of Paris promises that there will be no fines during this transition period. No gifts, rest assured, the leniency will only last until the new signage is installed and the radars recalibrated. Furthermore, we had wondered about the access of unlicensed vehicles such as scooters and small cars. They will indeed remain prohibited on the Paris loop.