Urban Transport in France : Moving to a Sustainable Policy

The organisation of urban public transport in France has some specificity in comparison to other European countries, even if problems are similar and the creation of the European Union leads progressively to an harmonisation. To understand these differences, it is first necessary to focus on historical and institutional aspects, including the 1982 Transport Law. This paper describes the evolution of the urban transport policy, giving illustration through the case of Lyon's conurbation; it highlights the reason for an unsuccessful attempt to reduce car use for urban trips, and discusses the main stakes for implementing new sustainable transport policies in French cities.