August 31, 2015

Une Journée Sans Voiture – Paris Will Go Car-Free in September

On September 27th, Paris will have une journée sans voiture (a day without car). For the first time, no motorized vehicles will be allowed to drive in the city, except for ambulances and other essential vehicles.

By Melissa C. Lott

Heavy Traffic on the Champs Elysees in Paris (1962) by Don O'Brien. CC2.0

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

On September 27^th, Paris will have une journée sans voiture (a day without car). For the first time, no motorized vehicles will be allowed to drive in the city.* In addition to providing some amazing picture-taking opportunities, this car-free day could show us how dramatic shifts in city transportation networks could impact urban air quality.

Like many other cities, Paris has struggled with air pollution. In 2014, local pollution levels were so high that the government temporarily removed public transportation fees and partially banned cars from the roads. According to data released by Airparif, this response led to a drop in Paris road traffic of 18% and 6-30% drop in air pollution levels.

According to Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, on September 27th:

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

“Paris will be completely transformed for a day. This is an opportunity for Parisians and tourists to enjoy the city without noise, pollution and therefore without stress.”

The majority (51%) of overall particulate matter (PM) air pollution in the Paris region comes from transportation. This type of pollution is a mix of liquid and solid particles that can contain sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, carbon, metals, and an array of allergens. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set recommended concentration levels for PM air pollution to avoid the potential negative health impacts of different pollutants (including asthma and other respiratory illnesses, lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease). Globally, an estimated 800,000 early deaths occur each year as the result of combustion-related air pollution.

Arc du Triomphe in Paris at night by Duncan Hull - CC2.0

*except a few essential vehicles, such as ambulances

Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism

Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.

When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.

Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber

Thank you,

Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American