Long a city that embraced cars, Paris is seeing a new kind of road rage: Bike-lane traffic jams

(28 Sep 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023
1. Wide of librarian and cyclist Éric Fofana with fellow volunteer counting vehicles
2. Cyclists, vans and cars passing by
3. Fofana using counting app on phone
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Éric Fofana, 38, librarian:
“We’re set in groups on both sides of the street. Some are counting the cyclists and others the motorists, and I’m counting the motorists, and buses.”
5. Cyclists passing by
6. Fofana counting on phone

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 13 September 2023
7. Timelapse of cyclists and motorists outside Paris town hall ++MUTE++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023
8. Cyclists riding down bus lane

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 13 September 2023
9. Timelapse of cyclists riding down cycle lane ++MUTE++

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023
10. Pan of Fofana walking with bike across street

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 17 September 2023
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Éric Fofana, 38, librarian:
“Freedom to go anywhere. Not having to wait for the last metro or train when you’re far in the banlieue (suburbs) or wherever. Yeah, never minding how you’re going to get home or how you’re going to get to work. It’s never an issue as opposed to, well, your car, you can’t park everywhere, some streets are barred to you. Walking, of course, is the best option but you can’t always walk for many kilometres, so.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023
12. Various of bicycle counter along cycle path

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 17 September 2023
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Éric Fofana, 38, librarian:
“I do feel better generally speaking, I’m in better shape (because of cycling). I mean I did lose a lot of weight thanks to that, but it was not my objective. Yeah, being crowded underground – I used to not mind at some point – but now, when I have to take the metro or the RER (regional express train) I’m like, ‘why do people do that?’”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 13 September 2023
14. Tracking shot of cyclists in bike lane
15. Tracking shot of cyclists in bike lane across from the Louvre museum
16. Cyclists passing by
17. Pan of cyclist making her way through traffic
18. Cyclist in bike lane
19. SOUNDBITE (French) Michel Gelernt, 70, retiree:
“I used to take public transport. My personal situation is I have a number of very ill people around me and I was scared for them. So I wanted to protect myself, avoid contact with other people. We had to wear masks but I didn’t trust people, so I thought, the only way of not contaminating my relatives is to take my bicycle and move around like that. It was precautionary measure.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023
20. Pan of cyclist passing by

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 13 September 2023
21. SOUNDBITE (French) Deborah (no last name given), 41, executive assistant:
“It’s rather complicated, in the morning and the evening, to take public transport, be it buses, metros… so a bicycle proved to be ideal because, in the morning, it makes you happy, it’s cool outside, it wakes you up. You see people who usually are on their way to work and are generally friendly – it’s in the evening that things tense up. It’s about comfort and a guarantee of making it on time at work. And it’s pleasurable.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023
22. Road sign with bicycle symbol against blue background
23. Close of traffic light turning green

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 13 September 2023

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France – 14 September 2023

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/

You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/75a3ab062a6645f39c03aa80cf55e8b3