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Pedestrians take over Champs-Élysées as Paris goes green

Monday, 09 May 2016 7:45 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 09 May 2016 9:01 AM ]

Pedestrians stroll, ride bikes and take pictures on the Champs-Elysées in Paris after it was closed to traffic on May 8, 2016. ©FRANCE 24

France’s most famous boulevard, Champs-Élysées has gone traffic-free for one day. The street was replaced by people strolling, cycling and taking selfies.

The first installment of a monthly series of pedestrian-only days on Sunday, was hailed as a resounding success by Parisians and tourists alike.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has ordered that the experience on the Champs-Élysées be repeated on the first Sunday of every month, partly to bring Parisians back to this emblematic place which belongs to them and partly to reduce pollution.

“I wanted, as did my entire team, to re-appropriate an avenue like this one so that people could walk around, stroll with their families and ride bikes. I’m very happy to have put that into place today,” Hidalgo told journalists at the inauguration of the event. “So voilà… Enjoy Paris!”

**Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo gave a short press conference before the famed avenue was opened to pedestrians. ©FRANCE 24**

An estimated 300,000 people, many of them tourists, visit the Champs-Elysées every day. The avenue is just one of 13 locations in Paris to halt traffic on Sundays and public holidays as part of “Paris Breathes”.

“It’s going to be a catalyst for people to come to the Champs-Elysées,” Carine Adrien, who manages a shoe store on the avenue, told FRANCE 24.

“[After the attacks], we experienced a serious decline. Business dropped by between 30 and 40 percent,” she said. “Everyone noticed the same thing. The first few months were very difficult… But things have gotten better since the beginning of May, because it’s nice out.”

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