Renowned for being a city where people cycle a lot, Strasbourg has just become the leader of the large French cities with the fewest private cars. We explain why.
Each end of the year, figures for the number of vehicles in circulation in France are published by the SDES (data service and statistical studies of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion). We discover that the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg is distinguished by a significant drop in the number of private cars in circulation: 246,056 cars on January 1, 2022 compared to 239,080 on January 1, 2023, a decrease of 2.83% in one year.
Compared to the metropolis of Montpellier for example (507,000 inhabitants) and that of Toulon (450,000), Strasbourg with its 515,000 citizens is the city where the decline is the most significant in France.
Florian Kohler, project manager atEMS Climate Agency a analyzed these figures and puts forward several reasons for this development. “If the number of registered passenger cars has fallen remarkably over the last year” explains the analyst “this is notably thanks to the incentives of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg and the State to change vehicles. The ZFE (low emission zone) undoubtedly also accelerated the decision of households to abandon a second vehicle, which was no longer, or would soon no longer be, up to road standards.”
Comparison of distribution of cars by Crit’Air between EMS and France • © SDES
Indeed, in Strasbourg, since January 1, 2024, only vehicles displaying a sticker ranging from Crit’Air 0 (for electric vehicles) to Crit’Air 4. It is an air quality certificate which classifies vehicles according to their polluting emissions of fine particles and nitrogen oxides.
Incentives for the acquisition of an electric or gasoline car in Crit’Air 1 can be combined. Thus the EMS conversion aid and the State conversion bonus can together reach thousands of euros. A helping hand that helps citizens take the next step.
Another lever to reduce the number of cars in circulation in Strasbourg: help to finance public transport subscriptions or the purchase of electric bicycles. In recent years, more and more people in Strasbourg have opted for public and soft modes of transport.
The civic spirit, the cycling spirit or “eco-friendly” spirit would also be a significant aspect to explain the drop in the number of cars in Strasbourg and in the 36 municipalities that make up the Eurometropolis.
In the Alsatian capital, we are seeing more and more parents transporting their young children by cargo bike. A mode of transport also used by certain companies for transporting shopping, for deliveries and even waste removal.
“Strasbourg is a city where it is possible to live without a car” specifies Florian Kohler of the climate agency. “The train, tram and bus network offers good connections, which makes it possible to get out and get away from the EMS without difficulty. We see that even tourists cycle through our area and that certain citizens take their guests for a ride to bicycle.”
“Strasbourg is a city where it is possible to live without a car”
Florian Kohler, project manager at the EMS Climate Agency
By comparing the vehicle fleets of French metropolises, we see that metropolises almost equivalent in number of inhabitants are not evolving at the same pace.
Comparison of the evolution of the automobile fleet in French Eurometropolises. • © SDES
There is, however, a downside. Although we are seeing a drop in the number of cars in the EMS, there are still more accidents involving two wheels. Several associations are even sounding the alarm to report a series of spectacular accidents occurring on officially secure routes.
What are the reasons ? Reduction of two electric wheels (and therefore fast) on cycle paths? Disrespect or ignorance of the highway code? While we wait to better secure the travel of two-wheeler drivers, we can already note the reduction in the number of vehicles, a trend which will continue.
As of January 1, 2025, 47,362 additional cars will be banned in the Strasbourg EMS, which will further reduce the number of vehicles circulating in the Alsatian capital.
2024-03-04 16:59:59
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