Auto-Free New York: Light Rail in France
The September monthly meeting of Auto-Free New York will feature remarks by Paul Rivey, Civil Engineer and Urban Planner from Paris.
11:51 PM EDT on September 15, 2007
The September monthly meeting of Auto-Free New York will feature remarks by Paul Rivey, Civil Engineer and Urban Planner from Paris.
More than a dozen medium-sized French cities have built new light rail systems in the past two decades. Now even Paris has caught the spirit and completed its first line within the city walls. Light rail provides an appealing alternative to motor vehicles in dense places.
But where’s NYC? The Mayor’s new 2030 sustainability plan completely ignores this winning mode. Find out how France succeeded. Come to the next Auto-Free NY meeting to hear Paul Rivey, a French urban planner and engineer talk about the City of Light – and Light Rail!
Before he began blogging about land use and transportation, Aaron Donovan wrote The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund's annual fundraising appeal for three years and earned a master's degree in urban planning from Columbia. Since then, he has worked for nonprofit organizations devoted to New York City economic development. He lives and works in the Financial District, and sees New York's pre-automobile built form as an asset that makes New York unique in the United States, and as a strategic advantage that should be capitalized upon.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Sunset Park Blaze Kills 6 As Lithium-ion Battery Fire Crisis Rages On
The city is experiencing a huge increase in fires caused by the lithium-ion batteries that power the delivery boom. A Thursday fire may be linked.
November 5, 2026
Mamdani Continues Crackdown On Illegal E-Motos With Brick-And-Mortar Sweep
The Mamdani administration catches dozens of brick-and-mortar businesses selling illegal e-bikes as his administration's crackdown continues.
November 5, 2026
Sanitation Truck Driver Arrested After Killing Pedestrian In Bensonhurst
The driver, Timothy McVey, 41, of Staten Island, turned himself in at the 62nd Precinct station house and was booked for failure to yield and failure to exercise due care
November 5, 2026
Election Recap: Street Safety and Transit Won Big Across the Empire State on Tuesday
New York had moments to celebrate for the street safety and urbanism crowd.
November 5, 2026
Thursday’s Headlines: ‘Brace’ for Bike Lanes and Bus Lanes Edition
Voters gave the mayor a mandate to speed up bike lanes and bus lanes and the outdoor dining application process. Plus the news.
November 5, 2026
