From November 3 to December 12, 2025, the public inquiry on the future Line 5 of the Nice tramway will be open. It will address the declaration of public utility for the project linking Nice to La Trinité and Drap. Residents and users can consult the file and submit their observations at several locations and online.
The Nice tramway Line 5 project is entering a decisive phase. The public inquiry, mandatory before any major project, will collect public opinions. It will take place from November 3 to December 12, 2025.
This future line, 7.6 kilometers long, is to connect the future Palais des Arts et de la Culture in Nice to the town of Drap, passing through La Trinité. Fifteen stations are planned, as well as three park-and-ride facilities. The route will cross the Paillon six times.
This new infrastructure aims to relieve congestion in the lower Paillon valley, a particularly saturated area during rush hours. The project includes the redevelopment of 290,000 m² of public spaces and a reforestation operation. Approximately 2,000 trees will be planted or preserved along the route. Four kilometers of green track are also planned.
The clear ambition is to reduce car traffic, improve air quality, and limit noise pollution.
Public Inquiry, a Moment of Citizen Participation
The public inquiry aims to inform the population about the project’s characteristics and collect their feedback. It is overseen by an independent commission of inquiry appointed by the administrative court. This commission will supervise the entire process and ensure transparency in the exchanges.
The file is available for consultation:
– In Nice, at the town hall annexes of Ariane and Pasteur-Bon Voyage,
– In La Trinité, at the Quatre-Chemins media library,
– In Drap, at the Jean Ferrat space,
– And online at the site enquete-publique-tramwayl5.fr.
Observations can be submitted on paper registers available at these locations, on a digital register, by email at enquete-publique-tramwayl5@mail.registre-numerique.fr, or by post to the Ariane Municipal Annex in Nice, the inquiry’s headquarters.
Sessions with investigators will be organized in the four municipalities to allow residents to discuss the project directly.
A Long-Standing Project, Revived After Years of Waiting
The idea of a tramway serving Ariane is not new. It dates back to the late 1990s. At the time, the Mayor of Nice, Jacques Peyrat, had obtained substantial State funding for the first tram line. In return, he committed to extending the network to Ariane. The project was abandoned in 2010, before resurfacing in 2018.
For several local political leaders, this new line represents a long-awaited promise finally kept. In a statement, Patrick Allemand, Juliette Chesnel-Leroux, and Julien Picot, of the Unis pour Nice list, believe that “Ariane deserves to finally be opened up and to breathe.”
They recall that the left has always mobilized for the project’s resumption, supported by the increasingly difficult situation in the Paillon valley. “The pollution caused by this incessant traffic affects the residents’ health,” they write.
According to them, Line 5 is the chance to end with a neighborhood “confined to residence,” long left on the fringes of urban development.
“It is now urgent to advance this project, which places Ariane residents face to face with their destiny. Line 5 is a unique opportunity to end with a neighborhood confined to residence that must be treated like the rest of the city,” they declare.
They welcome the opening of the public inquiry, while noting its “opportune” timing five months before the municipal elections.
Schedule and Financing
The provisional project schedule foresees network diversion works between 2026 and 2027, followed by construction toward the Palais des Arts et de la Culture and La Trinité between 2029 and 2030.
The total cost of the project, initially estimated at 350 million euros, now reaches 480 million euros.
In the meantime, the public inquiry will mark a decisive stage. It will allow the residents of Nice, La Trinité, and Drap to express their opinions on a project set to transform their living environment sustainably.
“Arianencs, trinitarians, drapois, you are invited to give your opinion on the project from November 3 to December 12 in Nice,” conclude Patrick Allemand, Juliette Chesnel-Leroux, and Julien Picot.
