Cycling surpasses cars in Paris as city plans new safety infrastructure

Cyclists in Paris now outnumber car drivers in the city center, according to a GPS survey by the Institut Paris Région.

The study found that 11.2% of trips in the capital were made by bicycle, while only 4.3% were made by car. Walking remains the most popular method of transport at 53.5%, followed by public transport at 30%. The city saw a 47% increase in bicycle traffic over five years, with a further 7.9% rise between 2024 and 2025.

This growth followed transport strikes in 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the creation of temporary lanes that the city has since made permanent. However, the association Paris en Selle reports that the city failed to complete its previous cycling plan. Only 43% of the planned kilometers of infrastructure were finished by early 2026. Safety remains a major concern as the number of bicycle victims rose to 69 in 2024.

The association Paris en Selle noted that seven cyclists died in the year leading up to October 2026, with six of those deaths occurring in collisions with trucks. To address these issues, Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire announced a new plan for 2027 to 2032. The city plans to spend 200 million euros to build 140 kilometers of new lanes and secure 420 intersections. While cycling is popular in the city, it remains less common in the surrounding region.

In 2023, 10.4% of home to work trips in Paris were by bike, compared to only 4.4% in the wider region. Paris currently ranks tenth among French cities with over 100,000 inhabitants for bicycle commuting, trailing behind cities like Grenoble and Bordeaux.