Lessons from Paris

PAREDES

On a wall in my bathroom is a framed map of the streets of Paris. I placed it there to help me remember the names of the streets, the arrondissements or districts, the iconic buildings and the Metro (subway) stations which we had to memorize to be able to navigate this great city when I went there with other Cebuano artists for an art residency not so long ago.

What struck us was the wide variety of ways that people can actually go around the city. They seem to have everything available for public commuting: the rentable electronic bicycle system called Velo Libre, the network of rentable electric micro car called Auto Libre, the taxis, the old Metro subway, and the bus rapid transit or BRT, which is a different system from the conventional buses. The BRT buses are longer because they have an additional carriage or carriages attached to them, making them look like small trains.

For out-of-the-city travel, there are two choices of trains: the conventional trains and the bullet trains. The iconic double decker tourist bus with an open top gives passengers an unhampered view of scenes along the way.

Boats and ferries are also available for a more scenic way of commuting through rivers and canals. And in the tourist sites, such as in the Eiffel Tower and in the Notre Dame Cathedral, pedal-powered tricycles and rickshaws can be hired for those who are too tired to walk farther.

And it seems that Parisians want to go around as self-propelled as possible. Many of them prefer to pedal, skate, scoot, hop on a Segway or hoverboard, or simply hike. And yes, the irony of this city with great public transportation is that it is actually very pedestrian: you can just walk to anywhere within city limits.

This we found out after going around the city several times on foot. Of course, it helps that there are always lots to discover wherever you go in Paris and that the city’s climate during autumn is not yet too cold and makes for practically no-sweat long walks.

But the backbone of the city’s public transportation remains the old Metropolitain, the subway system that was established in 1900 (a period evoked in its enduring Art Nouveau style). The network is so vast, you can go from one arrondissement to the another in just a few minutes. Passenger density is not always cramped, so you can bring to the train anything you can carry: a bicycle, a dog, or a shopping trolley (the last two being popular companions for local pedestrians).

With such ease of public transportation, there is no need for a car. Taxis are an expensive privilege. On our way to the airport, we took a black Mercedes Benz taxi chauffeured by a man in tuxedo.

Most streets in Paris are narrow but they still give room for a bicycle lane, painted green and marked with the bicycle icon. Virtually all sidewalks are lined with trees, mostly maple trees, and are paved with stones that amazingly are so leveled, it is safe to skate on them.

Parking is a nightmare in such narrow streets. And we learned that it is common for car owners to literally bump on each other’s car to fit into a small space when doing parallel parking. Every car bumper shows such abuse. Micro cars are popular for this reason. And recently, Paris announced that it is moving to completely ban private cars in the city.

For most of us, it is hard to imagine a city completely free of cars or motor vehicles. But that is actually becoming possible for Paris and in many other “green” cities in Europe. The alternative is just to provide a very efficient system of public transportation, consisting mainly of a railway (ex: LRT or light rail transit) and supported by a bus system (conventional bus or/and BRT).

With work and living areas within few minutes by train or bus, there is no need for a car. We can then move around downtown streets more leisurely on a bicycle, rollerblades, a skateboard, a foldable scooter or even a flying hoverboard.

That’s no longer a scene in Back to the Future as our politicians here in Cebu are starting to debate on which is a better system for Cebu: the LRT or BRT. It’s no longer a question of budget, they say. So, as taxpayers, we should demand both, not necessarily at the same time. Perhaps we can have one after the other.

We can start with that BRT system for Cebu City since it is no longer financially viable for the City Hall to back out from its commitments. We just hoped that they will still find a way to avoid removing those ancient trees, especially along the historic Jones Avenue. Perhaps Cebuanos are willing to sacrifice if that route is skipped.

But we should demand our long overdue share of the LRT system as the strategic solution to intercity traffic problems which will only get worse given the rate Cebuanos are buying cars. And perhaps, we can learn from the Parisians and start the habit of relying simply on our feet to move around.