Pedestrians are New Priority for Banks of The Seine

For nearly 50 years, expressways have dominated most of the banks of the Seine River. This is one of them as it has existed since the 1960s. No room for pedestrians. But as a result of lobbying efforts and a new mindset at City Hall, things are changing. Some parts of the expressways will disappear, other parts will be remodeled. On August 31, 2012, the first phase of this remodeling project was completed. The remodeled section features grass and broad sidewalks. It runs between City Hall and the Henri IV quay. The roadway has been significantly narrowed, and new sidewalks have been constructed. The new section blends in with older sections that were already pedestrian-friendly. Here at the eastern end, traffic and pedestrians are completely separated. The sidewalks and grass you see here are new. The roadway has been narrowed and repaved. Not only is the former expressway narrower, but now it has traffic lights. These allow pedestrians access to the riverbank, and also further discourage car traffic. Looking the other way (west), you can see some fishermen already profiting from the change. Some of the temporary changes from the yearly Paris Plages event have been made permanent. Before the remodeling, this was just a continuous on-ramp merging into the expressway. The new traffic lights cause traffic to move in blobs instead of continuously. Notice the generous space given over to pedestrians in this new layout. The pedestrians get the best view of the river (that’s the Île Saint Louis on the left). New drinking-water fountains have been installed. Tables similar to those of Paris Plages have been permanently put into place. A bit noisy, but still a significant step forwards. Movement to and from the expressway is metered by traffic lights now. Actually it is more of a boulevard than an expressway after these changes. People on the excursion boats now have something to see other than cars and trucks. (That’s the Île Saint Louis again in the background. The Left Bank of the Seine is on the far side.) This was just asphalt and guard rails only a few months ago. At the western limit of the first phase, there’s an existing park on the water. But it has been remodeled and tidied up and now looks much nicer. There’s another large street behind the green bouquiniste boxes up at street level. An existing overpass provides access to the park. The remodeling has added space and removed clutter from the park. Looking the other way, towards the Île Saint Louis (east). And to end our visit, a view from the pedestrian overpass into the park. The park is quieter because it’s a bit more isolated from traffic. And there you have it. It’s a nice place to relax. Thank you for watching my video.