Climate Change News: Paris Reduces Speed Limit To Under 20 MPH To Combat Pollution

Paris, one of the most populated cities in Europe, is reducing its speed limit in a move that officials believe will combat air pollution, encourage walking, and battle depression due to the drop in noise pollution.

Starting Monday, Paris will have a speed limit in city streets of 30 kilometers per hour, which is about 19 mph. The speed limit for most city streets had been 50 kph, or 31 mph.

The move comes as cities like London, Madrid, Berlin and Brussels have instituted similar speed limit reductions and after Paris had considered the measure for several years.

The French capital is also widening sidewalks for more walking space and will add new cycle lanes to encourage biking. Another “green plus” will be more plants along sidewalks to encourage a healthy environment.

Transportation Parisian Deputy Mayor David Belliard told a CNN affiliate, BFMTV, that he hopes the lowered speed limit will discourage driving altogether and encourage more walking, use of public transport and bikes.

Being overwhelmed with constant sound is linked to stress-related physical effects on the body like depression and insomnia, according to health experts. Less sound from traffic can also be beneficial to mental health.

“Environmental noise has been linked to negative health outcomes, like poor sleep, poor mental health, and cardiovascular disease, and likely accounts for more than 1 million disability-adjusted life years annually in Western Europe,” Environmental Epidemiology reported in a study on how environmental noise affects mental health and sleep.

A poll taken by Parisian City Hall on Monday showed that 59% of the city's residents were in favor of the new limit.

Delivery drivers and taxi drivers are among the opponents of the new rule and question how much the reduced speed limit will actually reduce pollution.

The change was pushed by Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who hopes to make Paris greener by the 2024 Summer Olympics.