After the numerous projects presented by the municipal majority, it was the turn of its socialist opposition, two days ago, to present theirs, avoiding the underground section planned in the latest project proposed and voted by local authorities such as the city of Nice and the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis.
Previously, the people of Nice had no choice… But that was before! Now, they have two projects to consider, with possibly a third coming from EELV, allowing the citizens of the capital of the Côte d’Azur to ponder. A partly underground tramway reaching the Port for Christian Estrosi, opposed to a surface tramway connecting to Riquier station for Patrick Allemand. It’s clear that the official start of the municipal campaign has begun, with a tramway somewhat in the backdrop, like in 2008.
What to choose?
Certainly, the most citizen-oriented solution would have been to ask for the opinion of the people of Nice and interested South of France residents via a referendum for the proposed routes. However, this proposal from the leader of the southern socialist party was immediately rejected by the first magistrate of the city of Nice and its metropolis. Therefore, while there’s talk of citizen consultation, this type of plebiscite currently holds no legal value and might well turn out to be just a futile exercise in the blue waters of the Mediterranean.
Between the collective “For another line 2 of the tramway” led by Marc Concas and the new project from the southern Socialist Party, as they await the verdict from the administrative court expected on June 11, the Nice “trambalan” continues to fuel debates and provoke discussions among local network members. For while the opposition in style and route is certainly part of political clash, many people of Nice are not yet accustomed to the idea of an underground tramway.
The municipal majority quickly retaliated through Pierre-Paul Léonelli, President of the Nice Ensemble group, and Alain Philip, Deputy Mayor in charge of Transportation (thanks to pre-electoral law), accusing Patrick Allemand and his group of having previously voted for the project and attempting a political move to avoid potentially upcoming socialist primaries in Nice.
Where lies the truth? Who is honest about these issues? Is the underground solution truly too costly and prone to unexpected surprises during construction? Answering these questions is as challenging as addressing the many others facing potential users of a line 2 that struggles to see the light at the end of the tunnel…
Starting today, Nice Matin has launched on its website a survey asking which of the two proposed routes are preferred by its readers. Nice Premium also invites you to give your opinion but adds to it a project that was once proposed with much fanfare but vanished without any explanation: That of the Promenade des Anglais.
