URBAN TRANSPORTATION POLICY IN FRANCE

The paper will present the French government policy in the field of transportation. Since most of the decision making is done at a local level, the paper will focus on the various incentives the government provides to see its policy implemented. December 1982 : a law passed that defined the broad framework of the transportation policy. It promotes for all types of transportation the concept of right for transportation, asks for social and economical project evaluations, and for an urban transportation plan which is set by the authority in charge of public transportation. The former traffic system management was at first only aimed to improving car traffic : the urban transportation plan involves comprehensive planning. Besides the law, the government has developed a set of tools to promote its policy: - (1) priority to public transportation through pay roll tax, development contract, refunding of 40% of the monthly pass for employees by their employers. (2) decrease car accidents through the react programme and financial incentives for the cities. (3) reduce energy consumption through mode shifts especially for short trips. (4) subsidies for by passes, building and work on urban highways. A detailed presentation of those tools and their impact will be given. (Author/TRRL)