Could this be the start of a (real) return to normal?
Since May 19 and the reopening of shops, you just have to walk around Greater Paris to observe significant flows of people.
Whether on sidewalks, roads, in public transport or even cycle paths, Paris and its region are gradually regaining their dynamism.
The available data are still patchy but they indicate a clear increase in trips.
These movements and this resumption of activities have something to boost morale after months of restrictions and curfews at 7 p.m.
But they are also accompanied by the reappearance of certain inconveniences, such as heavy traffic jams, and significantly more heavily loaded trains, metro buses or trams.
Traffic jams almost equivalent to those of May 2019
Laurence, a motorist from Val-d'Oise, felt the effects of "deconfinement" on Thursday, May 20.
“It was huge, morning and evening.
I broke my record in the morning: I took 1h45 to get to the 15th arrondissement of Paris!
"
The curves of the site of the Direction des routes d'Ile-de-France (Dirif), Sytadin, confirm this feeling.
Analysis of the number of kilometers of traffic jams shows that the level of traffic jams quickly returned to its "usual" level, that is to say those before 2020, while the congestion recorded since March was lower. 60% to normal.
Bottling curve in Ile-de-France measured on May 27 by the Sytadin site.
LP
According to calculations by the Data cell of the Parisian, the weekly average of this end of May 2021 represents 86% of the equivalent week of 2019. This Tuesday and Wednesday, the congestion even reached “unusual” or even “exceptional” averages. at several times of the day.
A situation never seen since December and the Christmas shopping rush.
Among the possible explanations: the persistent reluctance to use public transport, rainy weather, and the frenzy of shopping in stores, easier to bring back by car.
Data from the Uber VTC platform also confirms that Ile-de-France residents have been massively and often by car in department stores for a week.
In transport, some "crowded" trains to report
In the RER, metro, bus and trams, Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the regional authority in charge of transport, has also observed a 10-point increase in attendance since May 19.
“Basically, we went from 40% to 50% of normal in a week.
It is notable but we are still very far from saturation ”, explains one at IDFM.
However, this average does not reflect the times of the day when trains are used the most.
Here too, daily users note peaks in attendance.
“Now, it is rare to find a seat at rush hour, whereas I always found some before May 19,” notes Bertrand, a regular at line 13.
The platforms of some stations are now black with people at times.
“On certain SNCF lines, the elimination of one in two trains is very penalizing.
One less train means that there are twice as many passengers who have to squeeze into the next train.
Our members tell us that trains are sometimes crowded, even in off-peak hours, ”reports Arnaud Bertrand, president of the Plus de Trains association.
The crowd continues to ↗️ on the platforms of the stations of Ile de France.
The rough cuts made by the SNCF lead to very heavy loading of certain trains.
We warned 10 times.
It is urgent to put the canceled trains back into circulation, first during rush hour.
pic.twitter.com/yFU8jcZ41r
- More Trains (@Plusdetrains) May 25, 2021
Since March, Transilien has reduced its offer by around 20%.
The Plus de Trains association is now asking Ile-de-France Mobilités, SNCF and RATP to anticipate the foreseeable return of a large number of users by the summer and to rapidly strengthen its offer.
“Since the Covid, users endure less and less promiscuity.
We have to increase the offer to properly welcome travelers and reassure them, ”emphasizes Arnaud Bertrand.
Ile-de-France Mobilités and Transilien are preparing to strengthen the service from Monday, May 31, on lines L and J, in particular.
Details will be communicated this Friday afternoon.
At RATP too, changes are being studied to increase the frequency of subways, which currently run during school holidays (approximately -10%).
More people on the cycle paths despite the weather
And the bicycle?
The many Ile-de-France residents who have swapped their Navigo for a bicycle continue to travel on the cycle lanes and “coronapists” put in place for a year, during the first deconfinement in May 2020. In Paris, the counters of the rue de Rivoli and the boulevard Sébastopol show a jump in attendance since May 19, despite a rather capricious weather.
Still according to the calculations of our Data unit, the streets of Rivoli and Sébastopol record up to 40% more passages on average. A trend that should be confirmed with the arrival, too long postponed, of the sun in the days to come.