We are receiving and publishing this open forum from the collective for the extension of tram line 1 to Ariane and La Trinité, whose members include Attac, EELV 06, Ensemble!06, les Arianencs, les 3T, Nice au Coeur, PCF la Trinité, PCF Nice, PS 06, Tous Citoyens.
In August 2020, the president of the metropolis announced having chosen the tramway over the BHNS to serve Ariane and La Trinité, or even the lower Paillon valley. He announced the upcoming public inquiry and the commencement of construction soon after. Finally, the commitment made by the city of Nice in 2002 towards the State (the extension of tram line 1) seemed close to being fulfilled.
This commitment was made publicly by Christian Estrosi in front of the press and the inhabitants of Ariane. It is his word that is at stake.
When we learned about the launch of line 4, the collective gathered, and we immediately grew concerned about the fate of the extension of line 1. We sent an open letter to the mayor on February 14, of which he has not even acknowledged receipt to this day.
A recent article published in the regional press on March 4, 2021, suggests that all options would be on the table, including the BHNS, which is massively rejected by the population, and that a public inquiry will soon be launched.
This public inquiry should only address the extension of tram line 1. The residents, with their Collective, have demonstrated that the BHNS would be an obsolete solution from its outset, because it could not meet the needs of the neighborhood nor the necessary easing of congestion in the lower Paillon valley, which is now nearing automobile saturation.
Only the tram would meet the needs of the populations: greater capacity, no transfer break, more frequent scheduling, a more efficient, faster, and more ecological means of transport.
