In the heart of Vincennes, in the Val-de-Marne, the wide, smooth white flagstones of the sidewalks contrast with the little black cobblestones a little more “thuggish” of the road, which obliges motorists to ease off.
The city center of this wealthy town in eastern Paris, completely renovated following road works that took place from 2011 to 2017, gives pride of place to pedestrians.
Sidewalks widened (and lowered to the level of the roadway in low-traffic lanes), zone 30, introduction of paid parking for motorcycles which have reduced the number of two-wheelers parked on the sidewalks ... The numerous improvements to restore space to “soft” mobility earned Vincennes 12.1 / 20 in the first associative barometer of “walkable” cities, unveiled this Tuesday by the Place aux pedestrians collective.
One of the top marks.
“Personally, I would have given a better mark,” smiles Claudine, a young grandmother who is delighted to be able to walk safely in her town.
“The center is almost pedestrianized and the sidewalks are always clear.
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"No pedestrian center, no zone 30, no street with schools ..."
At the other end of Paris, in the streets of Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine), it is difficult if not impossible to find such enthusiastic pedestrians. The city, which is home to many high-speed transit axes (the quays of the Seine, avenue Leclerc, boulevard Jaurès, etc.), is entitled to a somewhat glorious 7/20 in the list of walkable municipalities.
A logical result according to Frédéric Kroff, activist from Boulogne-sur-Mer and local correspondent of the Sixtine association (created in the wake of the dramatic accident that cost the life of a young girl mown on her way to school in January 2020 in Paris), who recalls the absence of “walkable” facilities in his city. "We have no pedestrian center, no speed bumps on the main roads, no zone 30, no street to schools ... I have the feeling that elected officials continue to believe that to limit traffic jams, we must create more of traffic lanes. We know that it does not work, ”concludes the activist, who however welcomes the announcement of the next removal in Boulogne of parking spaces in front of pedestrian crossings before the deadline of 2026. What to regain some points in the next barometer?