The problem is indeed there, and it must be considered in all its breadth and complexity.
The radical approach of some (“we want the tram like the others”) and others (“okay, we’ll give you an upgraded bus”) are not the right option.
We understand the Mayor of Nice, who chose “to the west, full steam ahead,” making it the city’s and the metropolitan area’s main selling point for attractiveness, but there are also inhabitants to the east who would like to participate in the territory’s development. It’s well known that the first condition for achieving that is mobility.
The initiative by La Trinité councilor Ladislas Polski deserves all the attention the argument demands and positions it in a logic of analysis and perspective beyond political divides.
The gradual commissioning of tramway line 2 in Nice, the announced reorganization of the bus network, and the planned expansion of the tram network beyond the routes of lines 1 and 2 have rekindled the demands of the inhabitants of the east of the metropolitan area: the initial tramway project, which never came to fruition, indeed planned for a terminus in La Trinité for line 1: the residents of La Trinité, in particular, have not given up on it.
The need for an attractive and smooth mode of transport for the east of the metropolitan area is all the more urgent because the traffic jams clogging the lower Paillon Valley continue to worsen, making the daily lives of those residents who are forced to use their cars even more difficult.
The President of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, by proposing a dedicated lane bus (BHNS) to L’Ariane and, more recently, by announcing a comparative study between BHNS and Tram for the east of the metropolitan area, seems to indicate that he is not deaf to the aspirations of the inhabitants, particularly those from the east of Nice and La Trinité, to see a solution emerge.
The issue of urban transportation is indeed a fundamental metropolitan concern that affects quality of life but also the citizens’ desire for justice and equity.
It deserves to be addressed beyond divisions, in the service of the general interest.
In this context, I call on the President of the metropolis, Christian Estrosi, to create a General Interest Committee for transportation and mobility in the eastern metropolitan area, which would bring together elected officials from both the majority and opposition of the concerned metropolitan municipalities (primarily Nice and La Trinité), regional and departmental elected representatives, representatives of the competent State services, and representatives of the main associations mobilized on this issue.
The establishment of such a committee should allow for the swift emergence of a provisional schedule for the developments and infrastructure needed to smooth traffic flows in this strategic sector.
The strategic development of the Anatole-France Bridge area, which connects La Trinité and L’Ariane, is particularly crucial and requires mobilizing the full power of public authorities.
Tram, bus, train, arterial roads, and highway access: only with a comprehensive approach to transportation challenges will we rapidly and collectively ease the daily lives of the inhabitants of the eastern metropolitan area.
Ladislas Polski, Municipal Councilor of La Trinité
