“Anticipating the Games”
.
The sentence sounds like advice, but also like a warning.
Six months before the Olympic and Paralympic competitions, the government prefers to warn the inhabitants of the cities concerned: there will be numerous disruptions and they will have to be put up with.
To prevent local residents and other visitors from being caught off guard, the executive has launched a website listing all the rules that will apply during the Olympics: road traffic, public transport, parking, etc. Île-de-France, carving a path between security perimeters could well become an Olympic event in its own right.
So that the celebration does not turn into a nightmare, the authorities are calling on Ile-de-France residents to adapt their lifestyle during the weeks of competition.
Juggling security perimeters and “Olympic lanes”
To find out the impact of the Games on their daily journey, Ile-de-France residents can go without further delay to the interactive map proposed by the Minister of Transport.
As planned, the competition sites (Parc des Princes, Concorde, Stade de France, etc.) will be surrounded by numerous security perimeters within which circulation will be restricted or even completely prohibited.
To secure public flows and reduce terrorist risks, cars and two-wheelers will be banned from
“red”
perimeters , surrounding, for example, the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde.
To access it, motorized employees will have to show their credentials, by presenting, as during the times of confinement, a special
“proof”
.
The precious sesame can be obtained after registration on a prefectural platform, the launch of which is planned
“soon”
.
Automobile traffic will also be restricted in “blue”
perimeters
, such as between Saint-Denis and Saint-Ouen.
No need to rely on a taxi to cross the capital: they too will be banned from the security perimeters.
That's not all.
Those who are used to reaching Paris by road will have to take into account the
“Olympic routes”
, these 185 km of lanes reserved for the circulation of vehicles accredited to transport athletes, journalists, delegations or emergency vehicles.
Certain motorways (A1, A4, A12, A13), part of the ring road and some Parisian axes will be affected, from July 1, 2024 to September 15, 2024 inclusive.
According to the ministry, the rule will be firm:
“Any vehicle circulating on an Olympic route without having received prior authorization is liable to a fine of 135 euros and legal action
,” warns the website.
Motorists caught in the act will also find it difficult to plead ignorance, since these roads will be subject to very specific signage.
Read alsoOJ 2024: equipment, security, transport, behind the scenes of a global event
“Stations to avoid”
Given the announced restrictions, Ile-de-France motorists will undoubtedly be tempted to rely on public transport, with the RER and metro in mind.
But, underground too, users will have to demonstrate agility.
Parisians are already invited to adapt their journeys by taking into account the station closures which will take place from March (Champs-Elysées–Clémenceau, Concorde, Tuileries).
For all practical purposes, the ministry also suggests avoiding stations which will most certainly be crowded throughout the competition, like the Châtelet-Les Halles, Charles Michels or Emile Zola stops.
Ultimately, it is pedestrians and cyclists who will fare the best, since no traffic restrictions are planned for them at this stage.
The government makes no secret of it: the best way to escape this
“happy mess”
will still be... to stay at home.
By focusing on teleworking for example.
“In order to best support employees in their travel during the Games, it is recommended to encourage them to telework if their activity allows it
,” we can read in the Frequently Asked Questions dedicated to employers.
The launch of the “Anticipate the Games”
site
was also accompanied by a vast communication campaign aimed at promoting teleworking during the Olympics, to the great dismay of restaurateurs.
With the notable exception of RATP agents and law enforcement, the majority of workers are also encouraged to take their days off during competition periods, i.e. from July 26 to August 11, or from August 28 to September 8.
Postpone your move
But woe to those who, rather than setting sail, plan to move during the summer.
Students, young professionals... the government invites them to show flexibility.
“As far as possible, we invite you to organize your move before July 24, after September 8 or between the two Olympics, i.e. between August 12 and August 27, 2024”
.
If moving in cannot wait until the end of the competition, the ministry advises favoring
“days and times with less traffic”
, knowing that parking restrictions risk making the game difficult.
More anecdotally, Parisians will certainly have to give up, for a time, home deliveries.
Here again, the government invites them to
“anticipate”
their parcel orders, so as to have them delivered before the start of the Olympic Games, on July 24, after the Paralympic Games, on September 8,
“or between the two Olympics, from the 12 to August 27.
City dwellers can rest assured: deliveries are still possible by bike, which should, in principle, save orders for meals at home...