To provide a coherent and usable representation of the Paris and Greater Paris road network, the Apur is making available a dataset structured in three complementary layers:
- a ‘Lane sections’ layer, which segments the network into homogeneous elementary linear entities, organised in the form of a directed graph. This model makes it possible to integrate direction, traffic flow and intersection nodes, making the layer suitable for route, accessibility or service calculations.
- a ‘Roads’ layer, which groups together the sections belonging to the same toponymic entity (street, avenue, boulevard, etc.). This is a planar layer, with no orientation, used mainly for toponymic, cartographic or statistical purposes (display of street names, analysis of length by territory, etc.).
- A ‘Paris road sections’ layer, specific to the capital, also structured in a planar manner. It represents the network as it is perceived on the ground (without topological modelling) and incorporates enriched attributes such as the width of pavements, pedestrian load and period of construction.
Lane sections represent continuous stretches of roadway, mainly defined between intersections. By structuring them as oriented graphs, they enable routable modelling of the network, used in flow analyses, urban planning or service optimisation.
Lanes, on the other hand, provide an overview of the road network, facilitating geolocation, map production and thematic exploration of the road network.
Initially produced by the Apur, this database is enriched and updated in conjunction with the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP), in particular on the basis of their field surveys and feedback from local authorities on the deliberation of roadworks. It is now a shared reference for analysing the traffic network in Paris and the Greater Paris region.
It is used in a wide range of fields, including traffic modelling, accessibility and pedestrian path calculations, urban logistics studies and service simulations. In particular, the modelled road network is used to produce maps for isochrone calculations, to analyse accessibility to local facilities, and to structure address reference systems for fine geolocation.
Technical details
The road reference system is made up of two complementary layers: road sections, a fine, functional unit of the network, and roads, aggregated toponymic entities.
Main attributes for track sections (linear representation)
- Network hierarchy: general classification (motorway, metropolitan road, local road) and detailed classification (pedestrian, express, private open to the public, etc.).
- Accessibility: slope expressed as a percentage.
- Traffic: direction (two-way, one-way), maximum authorised speed.
- Addressing: end addresses used for geocoding (interpolation of street numbers).
- Link to the track
Main track attributes (linear representation)
The routes correspond to toponymic entities, each grouping together all the sections that make it up. They are described by :
- Name and type of road (street, avenue, boulevard, etc.)
Main attributes for specific road sections in Paris (linear representation)
- Addressing: end addresses used for geocoding (interpolation of street numbers).
- Average, minimum and maximum width of pavements: shortest distance between the linear pavement and the boundary of the block.
- Pedestrian traffic (High, Medium, Low)
- Construction period: Construction period associated with the track
For more technical information, please consult the detailed sheet on the Geocatalogue.
Data source and genealogy
The reference system for roads and road sections was initially created by the Apur using the 1990 INSEE base map of city blocks and the Table Adresse Îlot (TAI). From the outset, it included underground, viaduct and bridge sections, in order to represent the entire road network, whatever its physical configuration.
In 2012, a new version of the wireframe was developed in collaboration with the Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP), based on their own operational database, itself derived from the Apur's original wireframe. This collaboration gave rise to a data exchange agreement between the two organisations.
Since then, the database has been continuously updated by the BSPP, as part of its emergency call system (18), in conjunction with the partner municipalities. Changes are incorporated by the Apur during annual update campaigns, based on feedback from the emergency centres and municipal by-laws on road naming.
Licence and conditions of use
Before any use, you are invited to read and accept the terms of the ODbL licence and the limits of use specified here: https://www.apur.org/open_data/resume_licence_ODbl.pdf
Reuse of data
If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us at data@apur.org.
We welcome your feedback and contributions to help us enrich these datasets.
