Rue de Rennes Work Complete, Paris

Rue de Rennes, Paris

Streetscape and Traffic Calming

April 30, 2012

As promised, here are some photos of the almost-completed Rue de Rennes streetscaping work in Paris.

The goal of the project was to transform a heavily polluted urban roadway into a boulevard-like environment that would be pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly.

• Sidewalks were widened
• Traffic lanes were reduced from four to two
• “Bump-outs” were provided for pedestrians, shortening the distance to cross the street
• Bicycle lanes were added
• Bus lanes were separated and clarified
• Offstreet loading was provided and marked.
• Pedestrian crosswalks were clearly designated and distinctly paved to make them easier to see and more enjoyable to use.
• Landscaping was added, though sparingly

No surprise to New Urbanists, cutting down the number of vehicle lanes and widening the sidewalks has actually improved the flow of traffic on this street. Instead of constant “bouchons” (traffic jams), cars now move slowly but steadily down the Rue de Rennes. One local resident was heard to say “I could actually imagine living on this street now”. You would never have heard that before this project. Again, Bravo to Mayor Delanoe for this ongoing work.