The announcement by the Minister of Justice regarding the choice of the Vallée du Paillon site for the construction of a new prison—considered necessary by everyone—has sparked widespread uproar.
For once, the Mayor of Nice played a secondary role after successfully silencing the proposal of locating it in the territory of La Baronne, between Saint-Laurent and La Gaude—two municipalities administered by allied mayors. Other political leaders voiced their opinions by joining the mayors of the 13 municipalities in this area, who are unanimously against this idea.
This idea, coinciding with the inauguration of the first section of Line 2, revives the debate about extending Line 1 of the tramway to La Trinité, a project excluded so far by the President of the Métropole *, who only envisions the possibility of connecting the Ariane neighborhood to the Pasteur terminal via a dedicated bus route.
Perhaps an opportunity for a deal: the tramway in exchange for the prison with special state funding? And could this be the ultimate reason for the unusual restraint of the Métropole President?
Below, we give the floor to Xavier Garcia (PS06) and Robert Injey (PCF).
Last night, a collective of left-wing associations held a public meeting in a hall in the Ariane neighborhood. This afternoon, during the Fête du Château, the PCF will announce other initiatives supporting the extension of Line 1 to the east.
Xavier Garcia (First Secretary of the PS): the contempt for Vallée du Paillon truly knows no bounds
It’s a territory choked by traffic congestion, with no prospect of economic development, and largely forgotten by departmental and metropolitan infrastructure. Today, we learn that the construction of a prison is being considered here by the Minister of Justice, following a “dialogue” with the President of the Métropole. The contempt for the Vallée du Paillon truly knows no bounds.
The residents of La Trinité and Drap, who have just been informed of the refusal of the tram extension to La Trinité, have had it confirmed that they are considered second-class citizens, only thought of for projects nobody wants: primarily waste disposal sites in recent years, and now a prison that the friends of Mr. Estrosi in La Trinité do not want.
Since most of the valley is organized into a community of communes and the Mayor of La Trinité, the 5th largest commune in the Métropole, is paralyzed by the fear of being reproached by Christian Estrosi, this area finds itself defenseless, while its population is growing rapidly due to the cost of housing on the coast.
The construction of a prison on the Tercier Plateau, between Drap and La Trinité, could only be considered if the tramway is extended and road improvements are made to alleviate the morning traffic hell its residents endure. As it stands, it would suffice to bring Mrs. Belloubet to the Paillon thoroughfare between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. to show her that the project doesn’t stand up, unless she sees no problem with inmates taking over an hour each morning to get to the courthouse.
Robert Injey (PCF): Line 1, Line 2
This Saturday, Christian Estrosi will inaugurate the first section of Line 2 of the tramway, between CADAM and Magnan.
An inauguration that will be followed by many others (about ten with sections, stations…) before the next municipal elections.
Beyond the debate on the actual cost of this line (close to a billion) and the extra cost of the tunnel option, this inauguration highlights two things.
It cannot erase the local right’s responsibility for the delay in equipping our department with public transport. It took more than ten years to see a second line, even though we were already 20 to 30 years behind other major cities for Line 1.
The paradox is that this equipment is funded by the Métropole, but 20 years after the launch of the Line 1 project, the tramway still hasn’t extended by a single meter into any of the surrounding communes of Nice and is not expected to do so, at best, before 2030, if we stick to C. Estrosi’s assumptions.
It’s a very peculiar concept of a Métropole where most of the funding goes to the central city…
Finally, Line 1 of the tramway has already significantly transformed the city, its success going well beyond initial estimates. This illustrates the importance of a genuine development of public transport, often scorned, even today, by the local right.
The impact of Line 2 will undoubtedly be much greater. But for this to benefit the greatest number, it is imperative that this development benefits the entire population. From this viewpoint, the campaign led by left-wing forces and associations for the extension of Line 1 to Ariane and La Trinité is more relevant than ever.
Much to the dismay of the Mayor of Nice.
