Paris mayoral race puts city's green transformation to the test

Paris City Council banned cars on part of the banks of the River Seine in 2016 as part of its drive to reduce pollution levels. AP - Francois Mori

As Parisians prepare to vote in Sunday’s municipal election, outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo's decade-long push to cut vehicle use and expand cycling is under scrutiny as candidates debate whether to build on or roll back policies that have reshaped the French capital’s streets.

Around 1,000km of cycle lanes have been introduced since Socialist Hidalgo took over Paris City Hall in 2014.