New regulations from the Mobility Orientation Law require municipalities to clear parking spots located within 5 meters upstream of pedestrian crossings by December 31, 2026. This initiative aims to improve mutual visibility between pedestrians and drivers, thereby boosting road safety.
In Brive-la-Gaillarde, which has 11,813 parking spaces and 1,944 pedestrian crossings, this obligation will lead to the removal of approximately 1,000 spaces. Mayor Frédéric Soulier acknowledged that this is "not insignificant," noting that 145 spaces will be removed within the second ring of boulevards alone. These include short-term parking, delivery spots, disabled parking, non-paid, paid, and public service reserved spaces.
The mayor expressed reservations about the method, preferring to focus on awareness campaigns and reducing the city's speed limit from 50 to 30 km/h as the primary means of improving safety. He cited road safety figures: in 2025, Brive recorded 18 accidents involving pedestrians (22 injured, 3 hospitalized, no fatalities), and 121 accidents across all road users (1 fatality, 249 injured).
Since the beginning of 2026, the municipality has recorded 12 accidents involving pedestrians (1 fatality, 12 injured) and 72 accidents for all road users (1 fatality, 98 injured). Frédéric Soulier considers these figures "fortunately acceptable" but believes they can be further reduced, emphasizing that lowering speed increases survival chances by 60% after an impact and reduces noise pollution.
The mayor also announced the upcoming installation of anti-noise radars along the boulevard ring and Avenue de Paris.
