Avoid the red light on the very steep climb of rue Raynouard, go up the opposite direction in a one-way street without a cycle lane, take a breather before arriving on the dangerous avenue Paul-Doumer.
Aude details her morning itinerary to drop off her children at their school.
Quite a mission for this mother from the 16th arrondissement of Paris, converted to a cargo bike.
"I have always loved and I still love the car, she says at the start of our discussion, but it had become impossible to drive around with my Mini Austin".
She therefore sold her vehicle in favor of a nice cargo bike at 5,000 euros.
Find all the episodes of Biclou, the video series of the "Parisian" on the bike
This mother of two children is not at all an activist of the little queen, but above all a pragmatist.
When she realized that it was easier to get around by bike than by car, she made her choice.
But she recognizes it: this morning route, even by bike, is not so easy where she lives.
Aude knows all the dangers by heart, down to the minute.
“If the light turns red when I arrive on the climb, it's steep and I find it difficult to restart with the children behind.
And since there is no track, it's complicated!
In vain Aude looked for tracks, or even cycle lanes... nothing, on her entire route.
With almost 53% of families owning at least one vehicle, compared to an average of 36% for the whole of Paris, the 16th is the most motorized arrondissement in the capital - and also one of the wealthiest.
Historically everything was done for cars and things haven't changed much.
The axles are very straight, the cars go very fast.
The many one-way streets are not equipped with infrastructures that allow them to be cycled up.
"20 years late"
“We were 20 years ahead, explains Laurent, an association activist from Paris in the saddle in the 16th arrondissement section, when he recalls that rue de Passy had been closed to car traffic in the 1970s. 2022, we are 20 behind”.
Just drive on this wide one-way road to become aware of the place given to internal combustion vehicles.
"Look at the size of the sidewalks, passers-by can barely cross each other, while there are almost 4 lanes for cars" exclaims Laurent on the handlebars of his electric bike.
When we talk about cycling in the 16th century, we have to divide it into two parts, the Bois de Boulogne on which several efforts have been made to make it cycle-friendly and its residential part to the east up to the Seine in which the cycling infrastructure are very rare.
“We are a very family-oriented district, explains Vanessa Edberg, the assistant (Without political label) to the mayor of the 16th century, Francis Szpiner (LR), in charge of roads, road safety and transport.
And a lot of families here have at least 3 children.”
From the very mouth of this assistant, “the borough is dangerous.
We have many gateways into Paris.
Rush hours are very busy: the 16th is the access point to the center of the capital.
So making more room for bicycles in the 16th arrondissement, is that possible?
Elements of answers in our new episode Biclou, the video series of the "Parisian" on the bike.