The French national cycle route and greenway scheme is one of the major plans developed to help cyclists cross urban metropolitan areas. To ensure their continuity, these medium-and long-distance routes even cross national borders so that cyclists enjoy the right conditions for crossing metropolitan areas, joining existing urban cycle networks and sharing them with pedestrians and other users.

The planning and development of these «green» pathways that cross metropoloitan areas must take a coherent, holistic approach as an integral part of urban transport policies.

Cycle routes and greenways can thus contribute to local development and to redesigning the zones and districts they cross.