Paris plans to introduce a 30 km/h speed limit on almost all roads to improve safety, reduce noise pollution and help the city adapt to climate change.

Greens Deputy Mayor David Belliard said the measure would take effect at the end of August.

The exceptions are the Périphérique, Paris’ ring road, and some major boulevards.

A 30 km/h speed limit is already in place on 60% of the capital’s roads, while elsewhere they have been reduced to one lane or streets declared pedestrian zones.

“The idea is to reduce the space used by cars, which means reducing their speed,” Belliard said.

The decision comes when Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is promoting plans to cut 60,000 parking spaces from the city’s 140,000 on-street parking spaces.

Motorcycles and scooters, which used to park for free, will also have to pay from next year.

Greener Paris

To reduce traffic, the Paris City Council announced in May that it plans to create a “low congestion zone” in the city center by 2022.

According to the proposal, vehicles will be banned from four key areas, including the two islands in the Seine river, one of which houses Notre Dame Cathedral.

The area also includes the medieval Marais, the Louvre museum, and most of the historic Left Bank.

Diesel cars with high emissions are already banned from entering Paris during the day on weekdays.