00:00This is now the second favorite way for Parisians to commute behind walking.
00:05A new report shows more people travel by bike than car because it's quicker.
00:10And visitors to the French capital for the Olympics are being advised to consider two wheels where possible.
00:16Metro and buses are also an option. However, some metro stations near Olympic venues will be closed,
00:22meaning that hopping on a bike should be one of the smoothest ways to get around during the Olympics.
00:28But the cycle lanes have not escaped the impact of Paris 2024.
00:32Traffic jams, diversions and the closure of cycle lanes are problems that have been part of the daily life of Parisian riders for weeks.
00:39Luckily, the Olympic preparations didn't force me to change my routine, but it did affect my colleague.
00:45She usually cycles along the Seine-Riverside bike lanes, but they are now closed to the public.
00:51Paris does have plenty of bike lanes, and it's starting to be more bike-friendly, as you can see here,
00:56but it's no Amsterdam or Copenhagen yet.
00:59Plus, here, many cyclists don't respect road rules, such as stopping at red lights.
01:04From just 200 kilometers in 2001, cyclists now have more than 1,000 kilometers of tailor-made bike paths.
01:12Often concreted off from the rest of the road, these separated lanes provide greater safety for cyclists.
01:18Velib is a bike-for-hire scheme that started in Paris in 2007.
01:23There are also private companies like Lime and Dot providing thousands of bikes to meet growing demand.
01:29And if cycling in Paris needed another boost, in just one week's time,
01:33the men's and women's Olympic road cyclists will be racing around this city.
01:39Ross Cullen, CGTN, Paris.
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