A woman took a self-portrait near the Arc de Triomphe monument and completed it in a car on the Champs Elysees as part of an art installation titled “Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped” devised by the late artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Wrapped in. Free Sunday in Paris, France, September 19, 2021. (Benoit Tessier / Reuters)
Paris-A crowd of tourists and Parisians walked along the Champs Elysees on Sunday as Car-Free Day removed most of the traffic from the normally busy streets of the French capital.
Pedestrians wandering the most famous roads in Paris can see the Arc de Triomphe as an art installation in a temporary guise. As the late Christ devised, the monument is covered with silver wrapping.
“It’s your chance to walk the’champs’ to see the Arc de Triomphe head-on, not just from the sidewalk,” said 68-year-old Parisian Annie Matsuzevsky.
Paris hosted its first Car-Free Day in the Central Zone in 2015, extending its 2017 initiative to other parts of the city. Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo aims to use annual events to curb vehicle use and reduce air pollution.
Other roads in the capital on Sunday were full of pedestrians and cyclists, but residents who use buses, taxis, and cars for important trips were still able to use some streets.
The mayor of socialism, a candidate for next year’s presidential election, also reduced the speed limit on most roads in the city from 50 km / h (31 mph) to 30 km / h (19 mph) and walked on busy roads. Made exclusively for people. Seine river.
However, her policies have frustrated drivers, especially some residents in the suburbs who complain that they do not have adequate alternative transportation.
“Car-Free Day is great if we integrate the entire Paris region,” said Patrice, a suburban retiree. “Otherwise, it’s as if the people in Paris are saying they’re doing well in their surroundings, and everything outside isn’t worth noting.”
By Ardee Napolitono
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