Congested traffic, redeveloped streets and a city center under pressure: the car is seeing its space shrink in the city. Between no parking spaces, saturated parking lots and stricter rules, parking is becoming a real challenge for motorists. And with the new legislation coming, it’s not going to get better…
Large cities today are faced with a recurring problem: that of car traffic. More and more restrictions aim to dissuade drivers from taking their car to go to the city center. The widening of cycle lanes, the multiplication of pedestrian zones and lanes reserved for public transport are concrete examples of this desire to reorganize urban space. For the government, the objective is clear: to encourage citizens to abandon the car in favor of more ecological means of transport. However, this policy is not unanimous, particularly among motorists.
Many drivers face endless traffic jams in the city. The multiplication of lanes reserved for cyclists and limited zones sometimes makes traffic slower and more difficult. In addition, finding a parking space becomes a real headache. Parking spaces are becoming increasingly rare, and those that do exist often require payment, adding an additional burden to motorists. But the situation could get even worse with the application of the mobility orientation law (LOM) planned for 2026.
In fact, this legislation will make it even more difficult to find parking in urban areas. One of the main measures is the removal of parking spaces for motor vehicles 5 meters upstream of pedestrian crossings. This measure, which will be gradually implemented in several large cities in France, aims to improve pedestrian safety by widening visibility zones. Drivers will therefore have to adapt to this new rule…
The objective of this measure is to reorganize public space by giving more space to pedestrians and cyclists, while reducing the risk of accidents. Cities will have to put this rule in place by the end of 2026, with gradual application depending on areas and local priorities.
This refocusing on soft mobility requires municipalities to completely rethink urban planning. Ground markings, adapted signage, information campaigns: the success of this transition will also depend on the means implemented to support users in these changes.
