Since the end of lockdown, the debate has been raging. For or against, useful for some, harmful for others. It’s difficult to find your bearings. A protest in front of the town hall for the anti-bike crowd and an online petition for the pro-bike crowd. But what do the residents who support this bike-dedicated area think?
Several meetings between the city and the residents have not resolved the issue. That’s why the city plans to launch a public consultation soon. But for now, the project still raises questions. The supporters of the bike lane have not said their last word.
A noticeable reduction in pollution
Alexandre lives on the avenue and has observed a difference since the bike lane was installed. “Finally, there is less pollution on this Gambetta Boulevard which is a nightmare. I live at the very beginning, and before it was honking, double parking, and pollution. The people who oppose the bike lane don’t even live on the avenue.”
A way to make the neighborhood friendly
For Claire, this yellow patch of land gives the avenue a positive image. “The creation of the Gambetta bike lane has provided a possibility to use the bike more safely. The neighborhood has become welcoming again and no longer looks like a highway/parking lot as it used to (and as the upper part of the boulevard still does, accepted without impunity by everyone). I’m rediscovering with pleasure the restaurants and shops there. I can only urge the town hall to play a major role in maintaining this bike lane, which will only have positive effects for its residents and their environment.”
Cyclists can feel safe
Irène is delighted with this measure and notices the difference during her bike journeys. “For all of us who travel by bike, we’ve appreciated the difference, being able to ride on Gambetta without looking over our shoulder every three seconds for fear of being crushed by a bus, with cars brushing past you as they go by. And the people who live on Gambetta must have also appreciated the noise reduction; it completely changes the boulevard. We cannot encourage soft mobility without adopting measures like this.”
Fluidity and interconnection between neighborhoods
Nadja uses her bike daily. For her, this bike lane should be part of a network that connects the entire city. “The development of a coherent network of bike lanes on the strategic axes of the city is very important to me. The lane on Gambetta is the first on the north-south axis, and it is essential for the many residents of Nice North and the hills.”
