The die is cast, as they say in such cases. All deliberations have been adopted and validated by the regulatory authorities. The work has begun and is being prepared before its actual commencement.
However, this does not mean that opponents of the underground tram version have given up.
On the eve of the announced start of the work to drill the entry shafts for the tunnel boring machine on Rue Ségurane, a “No to the underground tram” back-to-school campus gathered engaged stakeholders of the mobilization for an alternative Line 2 tramway project, with the participation of experts.
Me Jacques Peyrat, former mayor of Nice, revisited the 2007 public consultation on the extension of the Tramway network by the establishment of a West-East line that included several variants in the hyper-center sector.
The municipal and metropolitan councilor Gaël Nofri focused on the financial setup of the project and the threat of a multi-decade debt it entails. The opposition municipal councilor highlighted the additional cost of the project estimated at 260 million euros and its financing.
It seems that to avoid increasing the Metropolitan debt, Christian Estrosi is banking on a PPP (public-private partnership) as he did for the Grand Stade project (now Allianz Riviera)?
However, this practice, which allows the transfer of investment costs to operational expenses, is nothing but a technical sleight of hand: one way or another, the debts will have to be paid, and the partner in the partnership naturally expects to benefit from it.
This aspect of the file will undoubtedly be the subject of a tough political discussion when it is presented for approval by the deliberative bodies.
Professor of Geology, Eric Gilli, mentioned the potential dangers arising from the subsoil excavations, and Eric Fontolliet, an architect, spoke about the radiography of the underground stations and their impact on the environment.
Finally, Laurent Guibert, a business owner, warned about the legal and human consequences of damages to properties, which he believes is likely given the age of some buildings near the route.
The next step? The promoters wish to create an association open to all opponents of this project but also aimed at informing and supporting all those whose properties are directly threatened.
