Games Wide Open
Discover how Île-de-France Mobilités is revolutionising transport for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. With enhanced accessibility, innovative solutions, and strategic planning, getting around the event has never been easier!
Île-de-France Mobilités, the Organising Authority for Mobility (AOM) of the Île-de-France region, is an official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
From 26 July to 11 August, France will host the Olympic Games, welcoming over 7 million spectators to 25 competition sites, with 12 in Paris and 13 in the Île-de-France region. Following from 28 August to 8 September, the Paralympic Games will also grace the nation, with 17 competition sites, 10 in Paris and 7 in the Île-de-France region, ready to welcome more than 3 million spectators.
Working alongside the International Olympic Committee and the Mobility Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, IDFM takes charge of orchestrating seamless transport for spectators and accredited individuals throughout various events. As the mobility authority, IDFM will enhance the travel experience for Parisians and visitors alike, ensuring effortless journeys between the various Olympic and Paralympic sites.
The first Olympic sites accessible by public transport!
Île-de-France Mobilités has designed new transport plans for reaching each site easily, thus ensuring that the Games are 100% accessible by public transport. The plans will orientate spectators on different lines depending on their number, and will additionally provide complementary solutions in the event of incidents.
Passenger flow management is strategically important for the Olympic Games, as it is vital to cope with crowds. These transport plans include all the lines near the sites as well as lines further away, to ensure the necessary capacity for transporting spectators. IDFM will offer shuttle bus services, too, when the sites are too far from train stations.
Île-de-France Mobilités is overall working to ensure that all sites will be accessible by increasing rail network services for the Paris region, by around 15% on average and up to 25% on the lines most affected by the Games.
The Games experience and accessibility will be further improved by providing additional travel solutions, with automatic metro lines (1, 4, 14) opened all night for the Olympic ceremony, several metro lines and Regional express line (RER C) opened for everyone during the night of the marathon, and increased night buses service (Noctilien) during the Games period.
Moreover, by serving the sites furthest from public transport, such as Golf National de Saint-Quentin en Yvelines and the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne, with shuttle buses, but also offering travel solutions to those sites where large crowds are expected, such as Parc des Princes for the football competition and Roland Garros for the tennis competition, Île-de-France Mobilités shows their attention to not leave anything to chance.
A truly enhanced experience
To enhance spectators’ experience during the Games, Île-de-France Mobilités is financing and implementing several solutions for all travellers, including:
- A multilingual application for game spectators to select Olympic games sites and integrate specific public transport offers, such as shuttle buses and
reinforced transport options. Spectators will also benefit from the ‘Paris 2024 Route’, which suggests the optimal route based on the number of spectators, ensuring even distribution. Tourists will be able to plan their journeys by downloading the ‘Paris 2024 public transport’ app and selecting their desired site and date. They will receive a notification the day before the event to plan their journey and will be notified on the day of any
disruptions. - An adapted public transport ticketing system, featuring a single pass granting access to all transport networks in Île-de-France, including airports, and all modes of transport, such as bus, tram, metro, RER, and train. This pass will be available in advance in a paperless version to cut waiting time at ticket offices.
- A coordinated transport communication between Paris 2024 and Île-de-France Mobilités, including signage dedicated to the Games displayed in all stops, trains, and lines serving the Games, as well as in major stations and transfer points. This signage will be complemented by a large number of volunteers, all clad in Games colours, to guide spectators.
And, above all, an inclusive and safe one, too!
Île-de-France is planning solutions to ensure that everyone can navigate Paris and its surroundings safely. To facilitate travel for people with reduced mobility to get around during the Games and to guarantee everyone's safety, Île-de-France Mobilités has devised dedicated solutions, such as:
- Dedicated shuttles for wheelchair users: For all spectators with ‘wheelchair user’ tickets, Île-de-France Mobilités has set up a shuttle reservation service to enable them to travel to the Île-de-France sites from 7 Paris stations.
- 240 accessible stations on the Île-de France Mobilités network, covering 95% of train and RER traffic and 100% of stations near competition sites.
- 100% accessibility of RER A and B stations, as well as the extension of line 14 in June between Saint-Denis and Orly airport.
As Valerie Pecresse, President of the Île de-France Region and Île-de-France Mobilités, said:
‘Organising the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been a challenge, but the Île-de-France Region, the second-largest funder of the Games after the French government, and Île-de France Mobilités are ready to host the Games. All the sports facilities were delivered on time, as were all the new
transport lines (metro lines 11 and 14, the extension of RER E and tramway T3b). The Games have acted as a tremendous catalyst for projects to create a lasting legacy for the people of the Paris region. In 7 years, we have been able to carry out projects and make the region greener, more connected, more supportive, and more sporty. Without the Games as an accelerator, this implementation would have taken 15 years or even decades.’
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About the author:
Françoise Guaspare contributes to improving urban mobility by facilitating the dialogue between public authorities, industries, and research centres. She is involved in the European Commission’s Expert Group on Urban Mobility as well as the chair of POLIS/ERRIN Transport Working Groups, ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council), and the CCAM European partnership. She is member of the Cities Mission board.
About Île-de France Mobilités:
Île-de-France Mobilités is an integrated organising authority responsible for all modes of transport in the Île-de-France area. Île-de-France Mobilités designs, organises and finances public transport, new forms of mobility and sustainable mobility for all Ile-de-France residents.
At the heart of the Île-de-France transport network, Île-de-France Mobilités brings together all the stakeholders (passengers, elected representatives, manufacturers, transport operators, infrastructure managers, etc), and invests and innovates to improve the service provided to passengers.
The regional mobility authority conducts an ambitious policy to modernise the network, the operation of which it entrusts to transport operators. Île-de-France Mobilités is composed of the Île-de-France Region and the eight County Councils and therefore has a vision for all transport services in the Île-de-France region (train, RER, metro, tram, T Zen and bus).
Alexandre Aymard, Unsplash.