Green Walkway to Open Along the Seine River in Paris

The City of Lights is taking initiatives to become a little greener. Paris closed the Georges-Pompidou expressway to any vehicular traffic and the route will soon open to pedestrians only. The car-free pathway will travel along the Seine River and extend from the Tuileries Gardens outside of the Louvre to Place de la Bastille.

Anne Hidalgo, mayor, Paris, is pushing for more eco-friendly initiatives to cut down on pollution in the French capital. During the summer, she plans to turn portions of the Seine River banks into beach areas where visitors and locals and sunbathe and maybe even swim in the cleaner-than-ever Seine. Residents will be able to bike or walk to work instead of relying on cabs or the metro, and at the same time enjoying a bit of the nature Hidalgo plans to install along the walkway.

Although these green projects make the city more environmentally conscious, some locals expressed their opinions about how fewer thoroughfares for cars will contribute to rush-hour traffic. However, with the promise of increasing greenery along the pathway and the recent national ban on plastic cutlery, France is on its way to a more appealing quality of life for its citizens.