There's a problem in that they are constructing the tramway on those routes,
When that is finished, will they then remove the bus lanes since there will
be no need for the PC (bus that goes on those roads)?

BTW, there are some places where there already is a bike path next to the
bus lane, Blvd Brune for example, when descending towards the Palais des
Expos at Porte de Versailles. (unless it's been closed due to construction
of the tramway.). You're supposed to use the path in those cases, but I stay
in the bike lane, since as you've observed the bike path is filled with
parked cars, pedestrians, strollers, etc.

In those Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:
So I finally returned Behemoth to her dealer last Friday for her
contrôle technique. This was a major project involving a trip with her
on the RER (suburban train) up to the Cité Universitaire stop (the
first stop in Paris intramuros when arriving from the South) and then
a 7 km cycling cruise westwards from there up to Auteuil. My only
previous experience of cycling Paris had been when I bought Bethie in
November. But that trip was the other way - eastward down rue de la
Convention and rue Vaugirard up to Luxembourg station. A quick look
at the map revealed that this route could not be used to return. The
cycling map also revealed a mysterious dotted line along the streets
- boulevards Brune, Lefebvre and Martial Valin, - that I wanted to
take for Friday's voyage. The key said "réseau à l'étude", cycling
path nework under study. So does that mean cycling yes or no?

An item on the local news a few weeks ago then came to mind. Mayor
Delanoe had ordered removal of a number of fine ancient trees in the
15th Arrondissement to accommodate a proposed cycling path.
Inhabitants of the neighborhood were demonstrating against cyclists,
with banners showing a barred-through bike. Motorists too were
protesting that the road was already too narrow for them without the
cycling lanes and that delivery trucks, etc. would no longer be able
to stop in front of shops. Spokespeople for the Mayor were claiming
that the neighborhood would be greener and fairer than ever when the
proposed accommodations were finished.

So I didn't really know what to expect.

First pleasant surprise: at Cité Universitaire, the RATP actually puts
its money where its mouth is about being access-friendly and provides
an _elevator_ to raise bike to sidewalk level (elevator is
technically for wheelchairs and prams, but no-one stopped me).
Bethie, fully loaded, easily tops 30 kg so that was extremely
welcome, as I hate asking passers-by for help.

On arriving above ground, I was at first disappointed. Yes, there is a
building site down the whole length of the avenues. It takes up about
a third the width of the street. No, there is no cycling path as yet.
So I desultorily wheeled Behemoth for a few blocks, then moved her
out onto the road in the bus corridor, held my breathe and kicked off.

Well, that bee-line through the 14th, 15th and 16th Arrondissements
was my best cycling experience to date. It was all straight so there
was no need to worry about signalling. There was a bus-corridor the
whole way so not much need to worry about cars. I was able to let rip
in 7th gear and max out the whole way. Behemoth comes into her own in
those high gears. Voluptuousness of silken pedals... I was so
comfortably upright that I didn't even get my usual sore wrists. Only
an occasional traffic light, spaced with considerate rarity, brought
me to a halt but restarting was easy on the level ground. I stopped
twice just to check my bearings but even this was not necessary as
there was really no opportunity for wrong turning. Just thunder along
till you cross the water and come to a giddy stop on the avenue de
Versailles.

Now I'm wondering if those protesters weren't right? What need for a
specialized cycling lane on a route which already functions so well?
Granted, sharing a lane with buses is a Faustian bargain, but they
make much better companions than baby carriages. I DO NOT WANT TO
SHARE MY LANE WITH F*%^$**ING BABY-CARRIAGES!!! And having seen what
happened with the much hyped Coulée Verte, I worry about a repeat.
Yes, give the cyclists their lane; force them to share it with
pedestrians, roller-bladers and dog-walkers, simultaneously ban them
from the roads "because they have their own lane". Then let the lane
rot and become overrun with tree roots.

Up till now I have always been dumbfounded at cyclists opposing the
construction of cycling lanes, but I see the light. To top it off, we
also have the hostility of the natives who lost their trees, and the
delivery trucks who lost their stopping place, so they will presumably
be doing nothing to help us. Oh well, wait and see.

EFR
Ile de France