Anne Hidalgo: The Mayor Who Bet Paris on the Bicycle
Anne Hidalgo became Mayor of Paris in 2014 and immediately declared war on the car. By 2024, she had transformed one of the world's most car-centric capitals into a cycling paradise.
The Political Courage
What Hidalgo did required extraordinary political will:
- She closed the Seine river expressways to cars permanently — despite lawsuits from motorist groups
- She removed 60,000 parking spaces and turned them into bike lanes and green space
- She lowered speed limits to 30 km/h across all of Paris (except ring road)
- She banned diesel vehicles from the city centre
- She survived a vote of no confidence over her cycling policies — and won
Timeline of Transformation
| Year | Action |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Elected Mayor; announces Plan Velo |
| 2015 | Closes Voie Georges Pompidou (Seine expressway) to cars |
| 2016 | First Sunday car-free day on Champs-Elysees |
| 2018 | 30 km/h speed limit across Paris |
| 2019 | Rue de Rivoli becomes car-free cycling corridor |
| 2020 | COVID "Corona pistes" — 50 km of emergency bike lanes made permanent |
| 2020 | Re-elected with expanded cycling mandate |
| 2021 | €250 million Plan Velo Act 2 (2021-2026) |
| 2024 | Paris Olympics showcase cycling infrastructure to the world |
The Covid Moment
When COVID-19 locked down Paris in March 2020, Hidalgo seized the moment: she painted 50 km of emergency "corona pistes" (pop-up bike lanes) on major roads overnight. When lockdown lifted, Parisians used them massively. She made them permanent. Cycling trips in Paris doubled between 2019 and 2021.
Key Documents
- Plan Velo 2015-2020: Final Report (PDF)
- Plan Velo 2021-2026: Strategy (PDF)
- C40 Cities: Paris Zero Emission Zone
- OECD: Cycling in Paris Policy Review
Quotes
"People told me I would destroy Paris. Instead, I gave it back to Parisians."
"Every parking space removed is a square metre of life returned to the city."
"The car is not freedom. The bicycle is freedom."