LASER—A miracle solution to Paris traffic, or just a gadget?

Despite modern management and sizable investments, in particular for public transportation facilities, traffic in the greater Paris area involves a loss of almost one billion hours to the user annually. The traveling speed, measured from door to door on a straight line, hardly exceeds 10 km/h on the average in Paris and its suburbs. The LASER (French acronym for “underground regional express automobile link”), designed by French contractor GTM-ENTREPOSE, makes it possible to improve this situation. The LASER project attempts to link the different arrondissements of Paris and the poles of attraction around the capital by means of a privately financed network of high-speed underground roads reserved for passenger cars. The LASER network, the logical complement to the existing road network, will offer the possibility of reaching actual speeds of 60 km/h at all times through the densest zone in the Paris metropolitan region. Capable of safely handling a traffic load equivalent to 20% of the traffic in Paris (including the ring road), the LASER network will relieve surface traffic to the benefit of motorists. All the inhabitants of the greater Paris area should benefit from the project, which will contribute to the economic, commercial and cultural development of the region. If Paris officials decide to grant approval for the LASER project, the Paris metropolis can take the lead in the development of underground facilities that sooner or later will be adopted by major cities in the world, if they are to meet the transportation requirements called for by their economic development.