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Paris banned cars from one of its most famous streets to curb air pollution

Nina Godlewski   

Paris banned cars from one of its most famous streets to curb air pollution
Science2 min read

Paris CHAMPS ELYSEES

Kamil Zihnioglu/AP

Pedestrians enjoyed a day on the Champs-Élysées.

It's not every day that an eight-lane road becomes a pedestrian pathway, but in Paris it's now a monthly event. 

In February, Paris officials voted to turn the Champs-Élysées into an open space for Parisians and visitors to the City of Light to enjoy on the first Sunday of every month in an effort to curb regular emissions.

This comes in addition to other routes that already go car-free once a month as part of the "Paris Respire" or "Paris Breathes" program.

Last year after the city was so polluted that it was difficult to see the Eiffel Tower, the city announced a plan to ban cars when pollution reaches high levels. 

Then in December, 195 countries (including France) agreed to curb emissions to mitigate further climate change resulting in the Paris Agreement that was signed in April.  

Due to the closure, the mile-long street that leads to the Arc De Triomphe was full of people enjoying a sunny day in the city Sunday. 

While cars weren't allowed, bikes were:

 People took the opportunity to sing and dance in the street.

And strolled along the road that's usually full of vehicles.

 

 A refreshing sight compared to the usual congestion of the roadway.

Paris organized the first car-free Sunday in September, which, in addition to a reduction in noise pollution, resulted in nitrogen dioxide levels dropping by almost one third along the Champs-Élysées, according to The Guardian. This was part of the reason officials decided to make car-free days a more regular event in Paris. 

Other countries are joining in to help mitigate climate change by limiting the emission of harmful green house gasses. India experimented with a 15-day trial ban on vehicles in Delhi that began January 1. And in Norway, there is a plan to ban vehicles from Oslo by 2020. 

NOW WATCH: This is proof that China's pollution is getting out of hand

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