It's a good idea. In New York, the closed parts of Times Square and Broadway to vehicular traffic. What a difference!

Posted By Steve from TravelingProfessor.com on June 30, 2010, 11:45 AM

NO CARS!!!!!!!!!11

Posted By tom hank on July 6, 2010, 10:47 AM

Not to mention that central park "belongs" to the walkers, runners and cyclists on the weekend. Makes a huge difference!

Posted By Laura on July 6, 2010, 11:47 AM

I think it is a great idea as long as the new cafes are French and not American or American-Style fast food chains.

Posted By Wes on July 6, 2010, 12:04 PM

I think this is a great idea, like Wes said above, as long it is for the French and not an American tourists attraction.

Posted By Roland H Newport on July 6, 2010, 12:21 PM

Every sounds beautiful. PLEASE NO PALM TREES. I'm trying to escape Florida.

Posted By Michelle Cory on July 6, 2010, 12:27 PM

Great idea!
What is wrong with American restaurants? McDonald's in France is fantastically popular with the French, making the French group the most profitable unit in the chain.

Posted By lawthomas on July 6, 2010, 12:33 PM

They could also charge a premium for driving through the area like Washington D.C. and London do. That would cut down on traffic and also bring in extra revenue.

Posted By Vicki on July 6, 2010, 12:54 PM

Bravo! Having lived in Paris I think it is a great idea to ban cars from that very "achalande" area. Poster Wes's comments are right-on.

Posted By Christiane on July 6, 2010, 1:07 PM

Great idea, but better to begin opposite Ile St. Louis, then continue through to St. Michel, the Pont des Arts, Orsay and Eiffel.

Posted By B Marcovici on July 6, 2010, 1:11 PM

I think it is a great idea to close the expressway and create just a pedestrian zone. The only thing I strongly disagree is palm trees. Palm trees?! For Paris?! It is so tacky. Euu... Keep palm trees for Nice or Cannes.

Posted By Galla on July 6, 2010, 1:13 PM

Great move. I don't know how they expect to handle the traffic, but more cities should emulate it. Almost as smart as Britain declining to add a runway at horrendous Heathrow. Will America ever learn?

Posted By Stu on July 6, 2010, 1:18 PM

Great move. I don't know how they expect to handle the traffic, but more cities should emulate it. Almost as smart as Britain declining to add a runway at horrendous Heathrow. Will America ever learn?

Posted By Stu on July 6, 2010, 1:18 PM

I lived in Paris for 5 years and can
tell you that Parisians will never stand for this.

Posted By L. Cohn on July 6, 2010, 2:57 PM

I would visit Paris again just to see the changes. What a great walking area. The last time I was in Paris the area in front of the Paris City Hall was transformed into a beach. The locals were playing beach volleyball on several sand courts. There was a separate sand soccer field about the size of a hockey rink. It was a lively area. Amazing how the humans come out to play when we create places to have fun. It just makes sense.

Posted By DBrantley on July 6, 2010, 3:06 PM

Great idea except for the palm trees. Maybe the Parisians think it neat but palm trees need the warmth of southern coasts. We have walked that very area down along the Seine but stopped short at a pedestrian bridge due to vehicle traffic. We wish them luck.

Posted By Solanadude on July 6, 2010, 3:11 PM

I didn't know that DC had a special charge to drive through the city since when?

Although it might be a good idea to end the tour busses.

No cars along the Seine sounds wonderful.

Posted By Mary on July 6, 2010, 3:22 PM

it's much needed and would enhance this portion of the city. motorists shouldn't have the final say regarding what's best for the city. Do It Already!

Posted By Kelnphx on July 6, 2010, 3:55 PM

I LOVE the idea! What better place for a leisurely stroll. Get rid of the cars!

Posted By Chesapeake Current on July 6, 2010, 4:03 PM

Any ban of cars, anywhere. Is always a good thing.

Posted By Licia on July 6, 2010, 4:40 PM

I cannot believe they want to put palm trees up along this walking mall. I agree that it could be nice without the cars, but palm trees? Seriously, can you imagine looking through your vacation photos and seeing the a palm tree right there, in front of d'Orsay or the Eiffel Tower? Oh, it makes me ill to think about it! Also, these are some fairly busy streets - I can't imagine Parisians would go for it. Tourism clearly hasn't been a problem thus far, so why would they want to shut down roads, thereby creating more traffic elsewhere? I live in DC, and I cannot fathom what I would do if someone suggested making Independence and/or Constitution Avenues pedestrian traffic only (oh, and completely off topic, but I know nothing of this driving fee in DC that was mentioned - and I drive in the district every day).

Posted By jhodgso1 on July 6, 2010, 4:42 PM

Vous me charriez, aucune voiture autour de cette belle région. Grande Idée. Paris est si bruyant jusqu'à ce que vous entriez dans les musées. J'aime à la montre des gens pas la montre automobile.

Posted By susan larysz on July 6, 2010, 4:44 PM

Great idea! Nix palm trees though.

Posted By doreen on July 6, 2010, 4:50 PM

Sounds like a good green business move,
which is never a bad idea from a capitalist prospective.

Posted By Laura on July 6, 2010, 4:53 PM

All the traffic would then move across the Seine to the Rive Droit expressway. You know, the one where Princess Diana died. Both of those were one way each when I lived there, and I'm guessing they would have to make the other one biderectional. That one was already a nightmare, so it will just get worse. Lovely idea (except the palm trees) but it may just make traffic worse, if such a thing is possible in Paris. Perhaps they could put proper deflection barriers in the Rive Droit expressway to prevent accidents from being so horrendous.

Posted By Claire on July 6, 2010, 4:58 PM

Not so good for people that have walking problems -my husband and I for example, we're 70 and 68, and do have some ambulatory issues. One thing we've always loved about Paris is that taking a taxi anywhere in the city is so convenient for us. So, there are issues other than just "banning cars is a good thing" !! (smile)

Posted By bailey on July 6, 2010, 4:58 PM

Sounds lovely! Hope it passes.

Posted By Karla Wagner on July 6, 2010, 5:10 PM

No cars along the Seine? Wonderful idea. But please - no palm trees!

Posted By Susan on July 6, 2010, 5:26 PM

With the kind of expanding grid of its city urban design, I'm sure the drivers could well adopt the idea at the end. Most importantly, this is a fantastic concept for the big city that have such a scenery walk and crazy drivers at the same time. Bravo to the initiator. ;)

Posted By Jade Bunruangrod on July 6, 2010, 6:03 PM

I am all for it! Time to reclaim parts of cities, beautify them and to get people out of their cars.

Maybe a little tram or small train with small cars in it on the side of everything to move those with mobility problems, the elderly and those who are unable to walk long distances.

Posted By Morgan on July 6, 2010, 6:52 PM

It sounds like a good idea - except for the palm trees! Please no palms! I am a bit concerned though that it would make traffic worse during rush hours.

Posted By Jonathan Jenkins on July 6, 2010, 7:26 PM

I like the idea!

Posted By Cyndi on July 6, 2010, 8:04 PM

I just got back after 11 days in Paris (again...). It's the city that I've spent the most time in other than my own, Seattle. I don't understand why anyone NEEDS a car in Paris. My daughter's happiest day was when she sold her car and moved to NYC! 3 years, no car, then San Francisco. 3 years, no car. Now she lives in London. No car. They all have great transportation systems, as does Paris.

Posted By Jeff Klein on July 6, 2010, 9:43 PM

Palm trees or no palm trees, it's a fantastic idea. I travel all over the U.S. riding bike trails & reporting on them for trailsnet.com. I've found that there's always a small but vocal group of people that opposes each urban bikeway. But as soon as it's in place, everybody loves it. Biking & walking are good for health, the environment, and even the economy. A big oui, oui to the car-free stretch of Left Bank.

Posted By trailsnet on July 6, 2010, 10:47 PM

I hate to be the one sour note but I don't like the idea at all. I have lived in at least two US cities where closing off streets or otherwise restricting car traffic made the street look absurd, with people still treating it as if a car would come roaring down at any moment. And it just looked wrong, with the sort of giant concrete planters that they use as anti-terror barriers blocking either end of the street. In one neighborhood, shunting vehicle traffic around the retail core killed it. It became a ghost town.

Also, part of the charm for me in many city steets is the hubub. Cars and pedestrians and bikes, and depending where you are, donkeys and goats and cattle all intermingling.

None of this may apply to Paris (I never noticed any goats in the streets there) but I would caution against the plan.

Posted By Patrick Hogan on July 7, 2010, 1:19 AM

It's the City of Light - light as a concept, of truth, illumination. Sure, it's more common to say "City of Lights" than it once was, but more common usage doesn't make it any more right. Las Vegas is the City of Lights - and you can have it.

Posted By Bill Earls on July 7, 2010, 7:42 AM

Parisians will adjust and eventually like it. For visitors, I recommend packing something to prevent/protect blisters on your feet. Even without this change, you walk a lot in Paris!

Posted By Karen on July 7, 2010, 9:05 AM

We were just in Paris--the best way to get around is by foot and metro. Cars are just a problem! The less the better!

Posted By Tamarasw on July 7, 2010, 9:59 AM

It would be sad to see Paris become nothing but a tourist destination more then it is. The nice people who believe this is a good idea are in danger of destroying what's left of what's real about Paris. There are plenty of cafes elsewhere and why should we screw up the flow of traffic for a plan which sounds very American to me and the kind of place I would run from.

Posted By Zig Liepins on July 7, 2010, 11:05 AM

Banning cars would limit many people who have difficulty walking long distances due to health reasons. Although I am young, often my bad hips prevent me from walking more than a couple blocks. Europe does not advocate for the handicapped nearly as much as the USA. For instance, how many wheelchairs do you see in the subways?

Posted By Heidi on July 7, 2010, 12:18 PM

I was in France in March 2010. I rented a car and drove to Normandy. Upon returning to Paris I returned the car to the airport and rode the subway EVERYWHERE I wanted to go. I don't drive in Paris. Driving in Paris scares me. It's an insurance and happiness risk. I don't take taxis either. All that said I really wish they's leave it alone. It's Paris. It's what makes Paris wonderfully insane. You can bet the pick pockets, beggers and gold ring con artist are liking the plan.

Posted By Sailnaked on July 7, 2010, 3:16 PM

I think not. It would ruin the authenticity of the City of Lights. Who wants to go to Paris to get new retail outlets--we have enough of that here in the states.

Posted By Debran on July 7, 2010, 5:41 PM

I think it's a great idea (except for the palm trees). Nothing compares to seeing Paris by foot. You have a chance to let the sights, sounds, and smells envelope you as you walk. It would be great to provide rental battery operated scooters for the convenience of folks that find it a hardship walking too. There is so much traffic in Paris that driving and sightseeing is just about impossible, not to mention dangerous to do. The Metro is the best way to get around if you need to go very far or if you just want to sit down for a while. Tourists are a huge part of the economy for France and being on foot is much more conducive to shop and eat. Whatever they decide I'm sure it will be beautiful.

Posted By Vickie on July 7, 2010, 7:29 PM

As an American in Paris, I'm quite happy with the idea of making Paris progressively free of cars. It will make life a bit more complicated, but the reward of experiencing the city without the noise and stink of traffic is worth it.

As for the palm trees, I suppose we have to adapt to global warming at some point!

I've also provided a few photos and commentary about major projects in Paris over the next few years on the Paris-Sharing blog.

Posted By Carsten Sprotte on July 8, 2010, 3:34 AM

I love the idea. The older I get, the less agile I am dodging 'the same old taxi cabs that I have dodged for years'.

To compromise, how about closing the road in tourist season only?

Posted By Carol on July 8, 2010, 7:56 AM

Hi,

I live and work in Paris since many years. Cars and (very urgent problem ) motorbikes must be banned... and in the whole town.

Reasons: For families with buggies it's often impossible to cross a street. Even when there is a crosswalk.

For people in wheelchair and older people the same problem.

People needing their car to deliver - as me - have to wake up in the morning at 4 - 6 am to transport.

I know many Parisian neighbours using their car even when the Metro is just beside....and look inside the cars...what do most drivers transport ?

Nothing than themself.

No, the street must belong the the people, let's create playground for kids and adults, benches, trees. Lets enlarge sidewalks for kids, older people..in fact for all.

And cars and motorbikes make the city so noisy, even at night.

Martin Wunder

Posted By Martin Wunder on July 9, 2010, 1:10 AM

I think that would be an excellent idea. And agree (d'accord) with a previous comment that the cafes and bistros or other shops must be kept native French. J'aime la France, Paris et la compagne.

Posted By TravelZim on July 9, 2010, 3:31 PM

An excellent idea! But then I like to turn in my rental at the airport several days before the end of trips to France, so that I can enjoy Paris via subway and just plain walking. This city is meant to be experienced on foot really. No motorbike races? Heaven!

Posted By Terry Mindham on July 13, 2010, 3:10 PM

No cars = safety for pedestrians and bikers.
I love the idea.

Posted By Rodrigo on July 19, 2010, 10:51 AM

This sounds like a good idea. Reducing noise, traffic and pollution in certain areas will just make this beautiful city even more enjoyable.

Posted By Michelle on July 20, 2010, 11:34 PM