The Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, unsurprisingly, chose to follow the conclusions of the investigating commissioners: the DUP (Declaration of Public Utility) for the construction of line 2 of the Nice tram was signed last Friday.
The unsound underground route for the eastern part of the line, which Ch. Estrosi is alone in daring to claim is the choice “that brings together the most people,” has thus been validated.
The Alternatifs reiterate that they are resolutely opposed to this solution, not only because it is extremely costly, but also because: it does not provide necessary guarantees regarding changes in aquifers (with the risk of causing issues for existing buildings), reduces the number of stops and thus increases the distance between stops, and by freeing up space, it allows for the continuation of undesirable automobile traffic in the city center.
The Alternatifs had spoken out during the public inquiry in favor of:
the immediate and prioritized completion of the extension of line 1, through Ariane, to its terminus at La Trinité; the construction of line 2, above ground, from CADAM and the airport to Riquier (becoming a true multimodal hub) via the route deemed the best of the five routes studied before the fanciful idea of the tunnel: Californie-Liberté-Joffre, with real interconnections at J. Médecin and Garibaldi.
But not all is lost: the technical deficiencies of the dossier submitted for public inquiry and the failure to take into account the numerous well-argued contributions filed during the inquiry should allow the courts to respond favorably to the appeals that are sure to be filed, while citizen mobilization must demand the abandonment of a solution that satisfies only the desires of the mayor of Nice and president of the metropolis.
The Alternatifs will play their part in this.
Bruno Della Sudda, Catherine Sackur, spokespersons.
