Do London Differently podcast
Ep. 26 Is Paris really a benchmark for cycling?
What if London took a Paris-style leap on cycling?
At the end of last year I joined MPs, peers and cycling leaders on an All Party Parliamentary Party Group for Cycling and Walking day trip to Paris. My role on the day was not as a cycling lobbyist or as a London National Park City representative but as the videographer / photographer capturing the two dozen strong group whizzing through the Parisian streets on Lime Bikes.
The question that lay ahead of us all as we embarked on the 7am EuroStar from St Pancras was “is cycling in Paris really that good, and how did they achieve it?
Spoiler – yes it’s good and it was achieved with political will and ambition born out of circumstance.
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In 2024 I sat in the Guildhall’s Great Hall with many of the attendees of our Parisian adventure listening to Deputy Mayor Thomas Chevandier, the man in charge of public construction and coordination of public space transformation work in Paris aka The Parisian War on the SUV
The problem in Paris was clear, 80% public space was dedicated to cars and only 4.3% of Parisians were using a single car.
“We had to fight the hardest against the car to even the share of public space. We are still fighting.”
Chevandier also talked about the pedestrianisation along the river Seine
“The same people kept saying you cannot do this – and so did the court – but now people are walking and cycling enjoying the space.”
Just over a year later we were weaving in-between morning joggers on this very same path. The consensus for enjoyment was clear when we were united in disappointment when our route pulled away from the picturesque Seine towards the Town Hall.
We arrived to be greeted by a sash laden Florent Giry, Deputy Mayor for roads and mobility, Paris Centre who guided us towards a delicious lunch and an afternoon of informative talks.
Giry described the huge infrastructure changes Paris has undergone since Mayor Anne Hidalgo has taken office. Whilst cycling was a central part of the 2020 mayoral campaign but since 2015 there was still opposition and heated debate. But a 2019 month long Metro strike and Covid dealt the Mayor a high pair hand and all that was needed was political will to complete the full house.
Hidalgo decides to endorse the full package and commit to making Paris a 100% cyclable city, cut half of street parking, Generalising school streets and to fully embrace the 15-minute city.
Post election win and lessons have been learned. There was a need for better attention to details like bus stops, crossing and traffic lights. Bike advocates were more involved in the designing process
But all these changes did of course create new challenges. Paris experienced a cycling growth crisis as more bikes swanned the infrastructure beyond what it can support. This lead to discomfort and conflicts with pedestrians. This was perhaps compounded by higher expectations from the citizens of Paris.
However the results in Paris Centre are clearly visible with half the bike scheme completed.
Half Street parking has been removed (- 2500), over 10,000 bike places have been added, There are now 300 school streets in Paris, including 100 that have been totally reshaped.
It’s an impressive achievement that’s not without its problems. When you move fast there is a tendency to break things.
Public opinion suggests that Bikes are dangerous for pedestrians, whilst this is not true in figures the feeling is widely spread because of bad behaviours. It’s worth noting that our own observations came to the same conclusions as you’ll see below.
There is also the feeling that the Major prefer bikes over public transport, this is also disputed but there are some sticky examples. One last complaint is that older bike lanes are now obsolete, this is indeed true.
The headline lesson from PAris
Paris didn’t wait for perfection. It built, learned, adjusted, and kept going. That “iterate in public” approach came up again and again, especially when the group hit junctions where the infrastructure still felt a bit edgy.
What Paris shows, in plain sight
- Space reallocated, not politely requested – multiple speakers pointed to roads where cars now get a smaller slice, and cycles get the lion’s share.
- A network, not isolated fragments – protected lanes matter, but what really shifts behaviour is when they connect across a city, without “nope” junctions that break the spell.
- Big change can happen quickly, if leadership holds its nerve – Paris has paired policy direction with visible delivery, and the results are now hard to ignore.
- It’s not perfect – junction design and signalling were repeatedly flagged as the bits that still need work.
- Demand arrives fast – in places, cycling volumes already feel like they’re pressing on the capacity of what’s been built.
Voices from the day
During the day I captured some on-the-go thoughts but a 3 hour Eurostar delay gifted me the opportunity to capture some more reflections from the Gare du Nord waiting room.
The podcast episode shares these in full
Fabian Hamilton MP, Chair, APPG for Cycling and Walking
Framed the visit as a practical study tour: what happened here, how it was delivered, and how UK decision-makers can stop treating active travel as a side quest.
Olly Glover MP, Vice Chair, APPG for Cycling and Walking
Returned to the recurring theme of delivery over perfection, and the need to turn UK “pilot culture” into “progress culture”.
Mike Kane MP
Spoke from a Manchester lens: pockets of good infrastructure exist, but broken connections and hostile junctions keep people from walking and cycling to work, school, and everyday life.
Brian Mathew MP
Echoed the practicality of the Paris approach: keep barriers low, build what people can use now, then improve it with real-world feedback.
Ruth Cadbury MP, Chair, House of Commons Transport Committee
Noted the intensity of movement in central Paris, with a visible reduction in vehicles and a surge in cycling and walking. Also highlighted the importance of traffic signals catching up with the new reality, so streets reward people, not just motors.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, Green Party, House of Lords
Loved the ambition and pace, but raised a fair warning: rapid build is brilliant, as long as pedestrian experience and quality follow quickly behind.
Mariam Draaijer CEO, JoyRiders
Found it inspiring both in design and in political culture, especially hearing how cross-party cooperation helped make change stick.
Alice Pleasant, Senior Public Affairs Manager, Lime
Positioned Paris as a live example of rapid transformation towards shared, affordable, low carbon transport, and why micromobility works best when it’s normal, safe, and integrated.
Xavier Bryce, CEO, Walk Wheel Cycle Trust
Offered three crisp takeaways: Paris is genuinely transformed, the political choice to reallocate space has been bold, and the diversity of riders is striking. Also said the imperfect bits (especially junctions) are not a dealbreaker, they’re a to-do list.
Emily Cherry, Chief Executive, Bikeability Trust
Kept the focus on children and everyday independence. Highlighted the value of France’s “Savoir Rouler à Vélo” approach, and the reminder that sometimes simpler infrastructure encourages more people to start riding.
Trudy Harrison, Senior Advisor, Fusion
Praised Paris for getting on with it: not perfect, but far better than nothing, and proof that designated, protected space changes behaviour fast.
Natalie Lindsay, Trustee, London Cycling Campaign
Celebrated the speed of change and the fact the infrastructure is being used hard. Also noted that once people are riding, you stop debating whether it’s needed and start debating how to widen it.
Ed Clancy OBE, Active Lives Commissioner for South Yorkshire, Managing Director, British Cycling Foundation
Admired the pace, but gave a UK designer’s perspective: consistency and clear standards matter. His “newfound appreciation” for LTN 1/20 was basically a plea for junctions, signage, and layouts people can instantly understand.
Duncan Dollimore, Head of Campaigns, Cycling UK
Summed it up neatly: political will delivered real change, and while some elements felt confusing, the bigger failure is when the UK spends years talking and never actually builds the thing.
Simon O’Brien, Liverpool City Region Cycling and Walking Commissioner
Delivered the quotable heart of the day: do it the Paris way. Build something usable now, accept it won’t be perfect, then revisit and improve. And if people start complaining, brilliant, it means you’ve given them something real to use.
Key lessons London can learn from Paris
Stop waiting for perfect, build something usable
Paris shows that “good enough to use” beats “perfect on paper”. Deliver, watch how people use it, then iterate fast.
Think network, not postcards
A few nice cycle lanes do not change behaviour if they do not connect. Prioritise continuous routes that link homes, schools, high streets, stations, parks, and town centres, with no “it stops here” gaps.
Fix the scary bits first, junctions and signals
Junctions are where confidence goes to die. Upgrade crossings, turn priorities, signal timings, and protected layouts so walking and cycling feel obviously safer than driving.
Reallocate road space boldly
Paris took space away from cars and gave it to people. London can do the same on key corridors, especially where buses, cycling, and walking can move more people in less space.
Maintenance and enforcement are not optional extras
Protected lanes only work if they stay clear, smooth, and continuous. Treat parking and loading enforcement as part of the scheme, not a separate nice-to-have.
Plan for success, not just survival
Paris infrastructure is already “full up” in places. Build with growth in mind: wider tracks, better overtakes, more cycle parking, and designs that can scale.
Use catalysts ruthlessly
Paris used moments like Covid and major events to accelerate delivery. London should pre-plan “shovel-ready” active travel packages for when funding and political windows open.
Keep pedestrians happy, not as an afterthought
Fast delivery can squeeze footways or create clutter. Paris acknowledged quality upgrades are needed. London should design for walking comfort alongside cycling, more space, fewer conflicts, clearer crossings.
Make it work for children, not just confident adults
If a 12 year old can cycle to school safely, everyone can. Pair infrastructure with training, school streets, and safe routes to schools as a citywide default.
Normalise a culture of tolerance and clarity
Behaviour improves when the street design is legible. Reduce ambiguity, separate movements where needed, and make rules feel obvious so people stop negotiating every metre.
Be honest about micromobility, then manage it
E-scooters, hire bikes, and other small vehicles are part of the mix. Regulate, designate, and design for them, so they support, not sabotage, walking and cycling.
Sustained leadership matters more than a single announcement
The big takeaway is consistency. Set a clear direction, stick to it through pushback, and keep delivering visible change so trust builds over time.
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