Strolling and selfies as Paris' Champs-Elysees goes car-free

The sight of cars thundering down Paris's most famous boulevard was replaced today by people strolling, cycling and taking selfies in the sun as the Champs-Elysees went traffic-free.
The first instalment of a monthly series of pedestrian-only days was hailed as a resounding success by Parisians and tourists alike on the two kilometre-long (1.2-mile) avenue leading to the Arc de Triomphe.
"Oh la la. Look at that, it's magnificent," said Roger, 67, who lives just off the Champs-Elysees as he got his first look at the thousands of people walking where normally cars and motorbikes would be thronging the road.

"All of Paris should be like this," he said. "We have to stop poisoning people, we need to open up the city. There should be more public transport and more taxis, but we don't need cars in Paris.
"I just hope the city authorities are going to continue to make progress on this."
Lined with French flags after a ceremony to mark the end of World War II in Europe 71 years ago, the avenue dubbed by the French as the "most beautiful in the world" was looking its best -- and there were no cars to spoil the view.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has ordered that Sunday's experience on the Champs-Elysees will be repeated on the first Sunday of every month, partly to "bring Parisians back to this emblematic place which belongs to them" and partly to reduce pollution.

Nine new routes will also be reserved for pedestrians and bicycles every Sunday and public holiday -- adding to the 13 already subject to traffic restrictions under the "Paris Respire" (Paris Breathes) anti-pollution programme.
At times, Paris' air quality rivals that of heavily polluted cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
So authorities took notice last September when a large part of central Paris was closed to cars and nitrogen oxide emissions dropped by between 20 and 40 percent.