Paris’ Day Without Cars

On September 22nd, the “City of Light” became the “city without cars”. At least for the day. Paris was one of thirty-five French cities that tried to persuade residents that their personal mobility doesn’t depend on the automobile. In a program dubbed “in town without my car” officials halted traffic on certain streets, bolstered public transport, and even loaned out bicycles. The government hopes the initiative will become a yearly event. But it may not, as the French, like us, have a romance with their cars. Sarah Chayes reports from Paris.