Reims to Remove Some Parking Spaces

Reims has begun painting over some curbside parking spaces as the city moves to secure pedestrian crossings before a national year-end deadline. The work has been visible for several weeks on streets including Boulevard Henry Vasnier and Rue de Bouzy, where parking spots near zebra crossings have been erased or blocked off, according to France 3 Grand Est. The city says the changes are required under France's mobility law rather than a discretionary local parking policy. The deadline for compliance is Dec. 31, 2026. ### Why are parking spaces being removed now? France 3 Grand Est reported on Sept. 2 that white paint has been used in recent weeks to neutralize parking spaces immediately before pedestrian crossings in Reims. The work is part of a broader compliance drive tied to the Loi d'Orientation des Mobilités, or LOM, which requires changes ahead of the 2026 deadline. (france3-regions.franceinfo.fr) Article L118-5-1 of France's road code says no parking space may be laid out on the carriageway within five meters upstream of a pedestrian crossing, except for cycles and certain personal mobility devices. The law says the purpose is to improve mutual visibility between pedestrians and vehicles. ### What exactly does the law require on the street? The five-meter rule applies on the approach to a crossing in the direction of traffic. (france3-regions.franceinfo.fr) In practice, that means a marked parking bay that sits too close to a crossing has to disappear or be reassigned, and the cleared space can be used for other street furniture or bicycle parking under the legal framework described by the Transport Ministry and Légifrance summaries cited by local media. (legifrance.gouv.fr) French traffic rules also classify stopping or parking within five meters upstream of a pedestrian crossing, outside designated spaces, as prohibited. Reims' current work addresses the street layout itself by removing marked spaces that conflict with the national rule. ### How many crossings are affected in Reims? Valérie Beauvais, first deputy mayor of Reims with responsibility for roads, told France 3 that the city has 700 pedestrian crossings to secure by Dec. 31. (lhebdoduvendredi.com) She said that figure should not be read as meaning 700 parking spaces will be removed, because each crossing has a different configuration. (legifrance.gouv.fr) Beauvais said some sites may require moving other obstacles rather than deleting a parking bay. She cited waste containers, shrubs and planters as examples of features that can interfere with visibility at crossings. ### How much parking could residents lose? France 3 reported that Reims has about 8,000 on-street parking spaces citywide. (france3-regions.franceinfo.fr) Beauvais said the number lost through the crossing-safety program would be limited and that compensatory adjustments during roadworks could offset some removals. The city has separately published roadworks notices that include parking and traffic changes across multiple streets in 2026. Those notices do not list the pedestrian-crossing program as a single citywide project, but they show that Reims is already using street-by-street works orders to alter parking layouts. ### Where has the work already been seen? Boulevard Henry Vasnier in Reims recently lost two parking spaces near a pedestrian crossing, according to France 3's report. (france3-regions.franceinfo.fr) Rue de Bouzy also lost two spaces in work linked to the LOM compliance effort, the outlet said. (reims.fr) L'Hebdo du Vendredi reported in December 2025 that newly marked spaces on Rue du Barbâtre had been covered by traffic bollards because of the same legal requirement. That earlier report showed the issue was already surfacing in Reims as roadworks advanced. ### What happens next? Dec. 31, 2026 is the deadline cited by Reims officials and by the legal texts for bringing crossings into compliance. (france3-regions.franceinfo.fr) France 3 said the city has prioritized the most complex and dangerous routes first, and Reims continues to publish street-specific works notices on its municipal website as projects affecting circulation and parking are scheduled. (lhebdoduvendredi.com)