They had been created in a hurry, to allow Ile-de-France residents to get to work by bike rather than by metro.
But without really knowing how long they would survive.
Six months after their creation, the temporary cycle paths - these famous “coronapistes” - are holding up in Ile-de-France.
And to prove it, the Vélo en Ile-de-France collective is launching a coronapist observatory this Thursday.
Online, are displayed in real time those which have been maintained, perpetuated or deleted throughout the region and in each department.
With each time, for a deleted track, the reasons given by the departments or municipalities.
“It's a tool that allows us to tell communities that we are following their commitments,” explains Louis Belenfant, director of the collective.
First lesson from this observatory: out of 165.45 kilometers of track created, only 18.61 kilometers have been removed to date.
"Everyone says that the coronopistes are no longer there, but we see that it is false and that the dynamics are rather positive", he still analyzes.
The Hauts-de-Seine is just behind Paris
Another surprise, the ranking.
If Paris comes first with 42.63 kilometers of coronapistes carried out and maintained, the Hauts-de-Seine follows the capital very closely, with 40.1 kilometers made permanent and 1.41 kilometers eliminated.
“It's the big surprise, we noticed a change in gear, continues Louis Belenfant.
There was a certain delay but thanks to the deconfinement, the Hauts-de-Seine created the infrastructures ”.
And the slopes of 92 are particularly popular.
For example, 6000 cyclists use the Pont de Neuilly-sur-Seine on average every day.
"The creation of cycle paths is the result of an affirmed desire by the Hauts-de-Seine Department [...] that is 120 kilometers of cycle paths have been developed in twenty years, primarily where they were easy," Departmental Council, before the confinement, the Department had in particular in studies 58 roadworks including cycle paths ”.
Almost half of the pistes removed in the Val de Marne
Conversely, Val-de-Marne, usually rather ahead of the transport themes, posted the worst score in the inner suburbs with 15.05 kilometers of tracks preserved and 11.55 km removed.
However, the departmental council, it is assured "to work for several years to the construction of a cycle network comforting and securing the routes of the cyclists [...] of 521 kilometers and including 247 kilometers realized".
While listing the problems encountered in the Val-de-Marne, such as "crossings of the Seine and dangerous crossroads", on the Mandela or Nogent-sur-Marne Bridge.
As for the withdrawal of tracks in Créteil and Saint-Maur, it is specified that "certain less frequented sections have given rise to numerous complaints from motorists to municipal teams".
The great crown, lagging behind
Finally, without much surprise this time, in the outer suburbs, the deployment is anecdotal or even non-existent despite the size of the departments.
“The distances are much longer and the car is still very competitive,” admits the director of the collective.
Thus, the Val-d'Oise created 12.08 kilometers of tracks (but removed 2.24 kilometers).
Essonne, 8.64 kilometers, Yvelines: 4.89 kilometers and nothing in Seine-et-Marne.
“It is rather the built-up areas that created the projects.
However, we know that there is a great potential for reductions in stations.
It could be very effective and practical.
But it will undoubtedly still take time ”, estimates Louis Belenfant.
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The department of Seine-et-Marne explains: “Indeed the community has not created temporary tracks.
But before the health crisis we had already started to think about its cycling policy ”.
A cycling plan was adopted in June 2020 in this department.