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Copyright © 2024 CGTN. 京ICP备20000184号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
The eyes of the world will soon be on Paris for the Olympics. The French capital will be a city on two wheels – and on a quest to cut emissions.
Cycling is now Parisians' second-favorite way to commute, behind walking. A new report shows more people travel by bike than car because it's quicker, and visitors to the French capital for the Olympics are being advised to consider two wheels where possible.
More than 60 kilometers of bike paths will link the Games venues and 10,000 bike-rack spaces will be added to existing ones.
Metro and buses are also an option, but some metro stations near Olympic venues will be closed - meaning that hopping on a bike should be one of the smoothest ways to get around during the Games.
But the cycle lanes have not escaped the impact of Paris 2024. Traffic jams, diversions and the closure of cycle lanes are problems that have been part of the daily life of Parisian riders for weeks.
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A cyclist rides a self-service Velib bike by the Alexandre III bridge Olympic site with the Grand-Palais in the background. /Ludovic Marin/AFP
Paris does have plenty of bike lanes and it is starting to be more bike-friendly but it's no Amsterdam or Copenhagen - yet. Plus many cyclists do not respect road rules - such as stopping at red lights.
From just 200 kilometers in 2001, cyclists now have more than 1,000 kilometers of tailor-made bike paths. Often concreted off from the rest of the road, these separated lanes provide greater safety for cyclists.
Velib is a bike-for-hire scheme that started in Paris in 2007, and 3,000 additional rapid-hire Velib bikes will be put into service for the duration of the Games. There are also private companies like Lime and Dott providing thousands of bikes to meet growing demand.
And if cycling in Paris needed another boost - the men's and women's Olympic road cyclists will soon be racing around the city.
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