Cycling Through Strikes: The Unexpected Benefits for the Environment

Hello there, commuters! The feared public transit strike has happened to all of us. Our commutes to work or school are a misery, but what about the environment? Believe it or not, there may be some environmental benefits to strikes. Consider Paris as an example. Public transport strikes have increased cycling in the city, which has decreased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Euronews reported that commuters are choosing to ride their bikes instead of taking public transportation because of strikes in Paris. 2019’s transportation strike saw a massive 50% rise in cycling in the city. Additionally, more than 1.3 million bike excursions were made daily by Parisians in 2020! This is great news for the environment because cycling is an emissions-free, sustainable means of transportation.

Yet, there’s still more! We need to make sustainable infrastructure upgrades if we want this trend to continue. In other words, communities need to spend money on infrastructure like bike lanes, bike-sharing programmes, and other things to make cycling safe and convenient. By establishing a vast network of bike lanes and a bike-sharing programme that makes it simple for commuters to hire bikes for quick excursions, Paris has already started moving in this direction.

We still have a ways to go, though. According to Euronews, some commuters are still reluctant to switch to cycling because of worries about safety. This underlines the requirement for further funding for bike infrastructure, such as protected lanes and traffic-calming strategies, which can make riding a safer alternative for all commuters.

As of 2022, Paris is making significant investments in bike infrastructure in an effort to rank among the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities. The city intends to invest in infrastructure, provide parking alternatives, and expand the cycling ecology in order to achieve its ambitious goal of being a “100% cycling city” within the next five years. On social media, David Belliard, the deputy mayor for urban transformation in Paris, referred to the bicycle plan as “one of the crucial pillars of ecological and social reform.” Other recent cycling success stories include the cities of Brussels, Barcelona, Milan, and Ireland, which devote 10% of their yearly transportation budget to cycling and another 10% to walking.

In conclusion, while strikes may be inconvenient for us, they can benefit the environment by boosting eco-friendly transportation methods like cycling. We require sustainable infrastructure upgrades in order to transition to a more environmentally friendly method of transportation. In order to make cycling a convenient and safe mode of transportation for commuters, cities must invest in bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly infrastructure. So let’s start moving in the direction of a greener future!

Davies, L. (2023, January 20). Are strikes good for the environment? Paris makes headway on net-zero as commuters cycle to work. Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/01/20/are-strikes-good-for-the-environment-paris-makes-headway-on-net-zero-as-commuters-cycle-to-work

Wanf, A. (2023, February 16). Urban Environmental Sustainability. Earth.Org. Retrieved from https://earth.org/data_visualization/urban-environmental-sustainability/