The green municipality of Strasbourg has made it the emblematic project of its mandate: the extension of the tram to Schiltigheim and Bischheim. Once the project was announced, a major consultation phase was launched between March and July 2023, the ideas but also the concerns of the citizens were able to be expressed.
Alain Jund, who is carrying out the project as mobility assistant for the city of Strasbourg and Jeanne Barseghian, EELV mayor of the city, have constantly reminded us of this throughout this press conference on July 10: it is a project that is revolutionizing low-carbon transport and allowing the city to be redesigned.
The extension of the tram to the north, to Bishheim via Schiltigheim is therefore more than a new public transport offer, it is “a bioclimatic redevelopment, which will demineralize and desimpermeabilize the soil”in other words bring water and freshness to the city. “With the current weather, no text explanation needed”emphasizes Jeanne Barseghian.
And as was the credo of the elected team, such a project could not go without its share of public meetings and citizen consultations. This was the case between March 15 and July 6. Consultations which do not revolutionize the project, but which allowed the inhabitants to share their ideas but also their concerns.
The public meeting of March 29 at the Palais des Fêtes in Strasbourg brought together more than 700 people in person and more than 400 remotely • © EMS
A quick reminder: the extension will be 3 kilometers long, at an estimated cost of 140 million euros. The strategic points concern the Place de Haguenau, transformed into a vast 16-hectare park, the Avenue des Vosges which will be closed to the circulation of transit vehicles and will have a central platform dedicated to the circulation of the tram, finally also closed partly to cars, the road from Bischwiller to Schltigheim.
What of course arouse the concern of residents, traders and workers. Danielle Dambach, the mayor of Schiltigheim, therefore wanted to be reassuring, “no, we are not blocking the city, we are generating new habits and it will always be possible to circulate wherever you live”.
And to underline how useful these citizen consultations have been, “thanks to the card-on-table workshops, adds the elected Schilikoise, during which we had made maps with the streets available, we were able to answer the questions of the inhabitants very precisely, for example what about nearby parking lots, how do I get back to the motorway, etc…”
Concerns relayed by elected Strasbourg opposition politicians. Thus, Pierre Jakubowicz, municipal councilor in Strasbourg and co-president of the Centristes & Progressistes group spoke as soon as the press conference ended to denounce what he considers to be “a forced passage” concerning the avenue des Vosges.
“Between the all-car return to the 2×2 lanes on the avenue des Vosges, writes the chosen one, and the all-hassle with this inefficient tram and this badly laid out avenue, a third way is possible on the avenue des Vosges. This is why from the start of the school year, I will bring together citizen workshops in the different sectors of Strasbourg concerned by this project to build a credible alternative.”
The mayor of Bischheim, present at the press conference, also expressed his great reservations about this project. “I regret that alternatives to the tram such as a network of more efficient buses have not even been put on the tablefulminates Jean-Louis Hoerlé (LR). Many of my fellow citizens tell me of their concerns about car traffic and parking.
Responding to concerns is therefore one of the objectives of its public meetings, but also getting to know the ideas of the inhabitants. “We had a lot of proposals, particularly concerning the development of the Haguenau park and the Place des Fêtes, ideas that enrich this project, rejoices Jeanne Barseghian. Bandstand, water fountain, Biergarten are all interesting tracks.”
Some ideas of the inhabitants could be retained concerning the development of the future because of Haguenau • © Roland Ribi & Associés Ingénieurs – France, groupement GETAS
The schedule remains unchanged. In mid-September, the public inquiry begins, followed by the declaration of public utility pronounced or not by the public authorities depending on the elements gathered and, if all goes well, the start of work in 2025.
2023-07-10 19:55:37
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