There are subjects that matter in the history of a city, that will allow it to move forward. The high-speed train line between Paris and Nice is one of them. It would help open up the Southeast and fill a gap, as only Toulouse and Nice are currently without a direct link to the capital. However, the State does not seem to be in a hurry, much to the dismay of Christian Estrosi: “I hope the government will make a decision before the end of the year, wishing that the line comes to Nice. In any case, things need to be clarified and specified both in terms of scheduling and routing.” Michel Vauzelle is equally determined in his speech: “All I want is for the State to create a fast track, no matter where it passes; I will provide funding. But for now, the authority of the State is being flouted. The regional prefect organizes meetings which are not followed through, and in the end, we make no progress. We need to agree on a route, it is essential for the region and for France. The government must take responsibility, especially with the opening to the Mediterranean which it intends to implement.”
Currently planned for 2020, the LGV could see its construction accelerated if Nice is chosen as the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics. A project that Michel Vauzelle fully supports: “The Northern Alps have already been recognized, applauded. The Southern Alps should be too. Especially since there is the second largest airport in France, and appropriate infrastructure. I therefore reaffirm my support for the city of Nice, even if Pelvoux (a small village with 450 inhabitants that has entered the race for the candidacy alongside Marseille, apparently; Editor’s note) is in the running. The Games should take place in a large city, so I think we have the means to discuss intelligently so that the project goes to the Southern Alps and particularly to Nice.”
Michel Vauzelle also announced his intention to establish the headquarters of the Euroregion, with Liguria in Italy, or even Rhône-Alpes, in Nice. A way to centralize decisions while leveraging a strong historic symbol.
The region and the department are working hand in hand to ensure that all important matters are addressed, beyond political differences. Before a partnership agreement is proposed to the assemblies of CANCA and the Region in early 2009, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two parties, which provides, in addition to the Olympics and the LGV:
– Coordinating the lines, schedules, and pricing of TER, TAM, and Lignes d’Azur
– Regional support for the extension of line 1, and the creation of the East-West line 2 of the Nice tramway
– Modernization of the Nice-Digne line with the goal of having a fifteen-minute scheduling on the Nice-Carros section
– Improvement of the Nice-Breil line by better scheduling up to Drap and the creation of a new stop at Bon-Voyage
– Opening of a park-and-ride at Saint-Augustin for SNCF/TER users
– The joint development and funding of multimodal hubs, primarily that of Saint-Augustin; creating an SNCF/TER stop near Nice-Acropolis
– Funding of projects on the “Eco-valley” Urban National Interest Operation (OIN)
– Funding the action program for flood prevention (PAPI) on the Var river.
