Paris is always a good idea, and with countries around the European Union reopening their borders to tourists, including France on June 9, signs are pointing to a slow but steady return to some sense of normalcy. If Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has things her way, that return won't come with all the car traffic that the City of Lights was accustomed to seeing prior to the pandemic. As part of her ongoing campaign to reduce car use in Paris, Hidalgo recently announced her newest goal: to ban most vehicles from the city center by next year. The plan would create a zone, covering most of Paris's core center, and prohibit through traffic in that area, meaning it would be illegal to drive across the city center without stopping. This alone would eliminate 55% of total traffic — more than 100,000 cars — passing through this zone on average per day. The only vehicles allowed in the zone would be for residents (including short-term hotel guests), people with disabilities, and vehicles used for public transit, deliveries, or services.
