Parliamentary group travels to Paris to explore recent rapid transformation for active travel

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) led a group of Parliamentarians, Walking and Cycling Commissioners, and those working in the active travel sector on a study tour to Paris.

The one-day trip last week saw the group meeting MPs, local councillors, senior policymakers and campaigners to understand how the city has transformed its streets for cycling in recent years – with a particular focus on the preparation that took place ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2024.

Fabian Hamilton MP, Chair of the APPG for Cycling and Walking, said: “This visit has shown us what’s possible when political will and investment align behind active travel. Paris has made extraordinary progress in just a few years, creating more space for those walking, wheeling and cycling.‘’The trip was invaluable in learning more about what is possible, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the political spectrum to bring this knowledge into our work on the APPG.’’

By train and bike

The tour started the day at London St Pancras, travelling by train to Paris Gare du Nord before embarking on a city cycle tour using Lime e-bikes, taking in key examples of the French capital’s reallocation of space for active travel.

Following lunch at the central Paris City Hall, the group met with Florent Giry, a local councillor from the City of Paris, to discuss the city’s cycling strategy, its rapid delivery of segregated cycle routes, and its plans for sustaining cycling growth beyond the Olympics.

This was followed by a meeting with Paris en Selle, a leading advocacy organisation, and discussions with Lime, whose shared e-bikes and scooters have played a major role in Paris’s active mobility ecosystem.

The delegation also went to the French Parliament and met with Catherine Hervieu MP and Romain Legros from Réseau vélo et marche, and other policymakers working to promote cycling nationally.

The study tour offered a valuable opportunity for UK parliamentarians to see how Paris has redefined its approach to transport and public space, transforming major roads into people-friendly boulevards, integrating cycling into public policy, and embedding active travel into long-term health and environmental strategies.

Alice Pleasant, Senior Public Affairs Manager at Lime, said: “We were proud to support this tour and showcase our work in Paris. There’s no better way to get around Paris than by cycle – the city is the perfect example of rapid transformation for active travel, which is central to Lime’s mission: to make transportation shared, affordable, and carbon-free.”

The visit was supported by Lime and Eurostar, and included representatives from Cycling UK, The Bikeability Trust, the Walk Wheel & Cycle Trust, JoyRiders, the London Cycling Campaign and others. The cross-party Parliamentary representatives included Fabian Hamilton MP, the chair of the APPGCW, Olly Glover MP, Ruth Cadbury MP, the Chair of the Transport Select Committee, Brian Mathew MP, Mike Kane MP, and Baroness Jones. Simon O’Brien, the Walking and Cycling Commissioner for the Liverpool Combined Authority, joined along with Ed Clancy, the Active Lives Commissioner for the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.