On my bicycle tour around Paris, I am pretty sure we peddled around the Place de la Republique. I was really trying not to get run over or hit a pedestrian. Heather Stimmler-Hall points out in her "Secrets of Paris" Newsletter that the large and noisy Place de la Republique has
never been a place to linger. It’s a nightmare for pedestrians, a confusing
intersection for drivers, and usually full of protest marchers at the foot of
the Statue de la République or drunks passed out on the patches of grass at the
center. But you may want to take one last peek (and a “before” photo) before a
major facelift project gets underway this winter to modernize this square which
hasn’t changed since 1883. Strategically located at the cross roads of the 3rd,
10th, and 11th arrondissements, in January 2012 the square and its surrounding
streets will be ripped up and replaced with a pedestrian esplanade of over 2
hectares (about 5 acres), a tree-lined square set up for public events like
concerts, and rerouting of the street traffic around one side (instead of all
around). This should make the square more welcoming for cyclists, public
transportation users, and pedestrians. It will supposedly be done by Spring
2013. I think the proposed "facelift" will be spectacular and on my next visit to Paris, I will definitely make a point to check it out. http://www.placedelarepublique.paris.fr
