In Paris and in the inner suburbs, the bicycle has been gaining more and more followers in recent months, especially for commuting. The deployment of new cycle routes, but also strikes in transport have modified urban mobility. However, major highways which serve important activity areas are still too often dedicated to motor vehicles. Traffic conditions are such that few cyclists dare to venture there. This is the case of the RN13 on its portion managed by the State and the Direction des Routes d’Ile-de-France and located in the town of Neuilly-sur-Seine, between Porte Maillot and the business district of the Defense. Source of noise pollution, pollution and unattractive for cyclists, this two-lane 4-lane road has just experienced a little revolution.
As part of the end of the blockdown it is recommended not to use private cars for daily trips and to favor public transport. However, they will not be able to absorb these additional passenger flows while guaranteeing health standards to deal with COVID-19. In order to give more space to the bicycle, which allows social distancing without generating pollution, a traffic lane in the direction of Porte Maillot – La Défense is now reserved for the circulation of cyclists. The unidirectional bike lane, which also runs on the Pont de Neuilly, crosses the surface above the RER A line, and is part of the RER Vélo project, run by the Collectif Vélo Île-de-France.
However, this new cycle path being located along the sidewalk, it coincides with four bus stops, and creates a risky situation for cyclists if they were to be sent back to car traffic in order to bypass the buses at the stop.
Need and project objectives.
To encourage the use of bicycles in the context of the partial end of lockdown, DiRIF wanted the creation of a unidirectional bike lane on the portion of RN13 which it manages. Due to the large flow of vehicles on this axis, it was essential, for the safety of cyclists, to implement a solution making it possible to optimally manage the meeting areas between cyclists and bus users, in front of stops.
The proposed solution.
The proposed solution consisted in installing four platforms of the Vectorial® system (ZICLA) with an integrated bike lane. The modularity and versatility of this product made it possible to respond quickly, economically and simply to the problem encountered.
This situation highlights the interest for cities in having modular, versatile products that are easy to set up and uninstall, all at a lower cost and with a low environmental footprint.
Results achieved.
Thanks to the installation of this unidirectional bike lane and the four platforms of the Vectorial® system, cyclists can now ride on a line of more than 2 km, in optimal traffic conditions. In addition, the operation of the bus lines could be continued without degrading the service, the buses stopping in line at their stops, without having to carry out approximation manoeuvres, nor to waste time by reinserting themselves in the traffic. Finally, the accessibility of the stops is guaranteed, both when getting on and off the bus, for anyone with travel difficulties.
