Where are we in the implementation of this eagerly awaited East-West tramway line by almost all citizens? A response was given yesterday by the Deputy Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi.
The project, said the Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, is pending on the decision of the Administrative Tribunal, which is set to rule (the hearing is scheduled for June 11) on the appeals by a collective of opposition representatives challenging the decree by the former Prefect Michel Drevet, who declared on June 15 of last year, it “of public utility”.
This decision was indirectly confirmed by his successor, the current Prefect Christophe Mirmande, who rejected the appeals submitted informally by the same collective (October 22).
If everything goes as planned by Christian Estrosi, nothing will be able to oppose the start of the work after the allocation of the contract for which four business groups are competing.
Hence, the Mayor of Nice proclaims loudly: “the project will be carried out and it will be done in accordance with the public utility decree that validated it in almost its entirety.”
A project, he likes to recall, that was unanimously approved with the current route and its four underground stations, including by the socialist opposition and its leader Patrick Allemand, during the Community Council meeting on December 4, 2009.
Christian Estrosi dismisses any solution other than the underground line for the city center section (“A surface tramway in the city center would face the same construction challenges as those endured by the people of Nice during the construction of the first line, with more than 29 million in compensation for economic damages”).
Finally, the first citizen of the city of Nice confirmed that this project will be executed successfully and that the tunnel solution will allow access to the airport from the port in just 26 minutes against over 40 with any other solution.
Yet, the initial project on the Promenade des Anglais promised a route in thirty minutes…
Regarding cost, Christian Estrosi also wanted to clarify all the figures circulating freely. The exact cost of this investment will be 650 million euros before taxes, partially financed by the State (~ 53 million), the General Council (~ 50 million), the PACA Region (26 million), and the EU FEDER Fund which will contribute 3 million for studies.
For the rest, an agreement has been signed with the CDC for a loan of 250 million while another of the same amount will be negotiated with the EIB.
Everything seems to be on track for this project to be implemented in the desired time and manner.
There, Christian Estrosi dons his hat as a deputy and one of the principal leaders of his national opposition party by criticizing the Government’s economic policy and its impact on local finances: 4.6 million euros in 2013, and even less encouraging forecasts for 2014 and 2015 (respectively 12 and 24 million).
And so, option B (the prudent approach in case of a deterioration in the investment capacities from the State’s budget transfers to local communities): A phasing of the project that would delay by two years the operation of the two underground stations Durandy and Garibaldi and the surface station at the Port of Nice.
Thus (Possible?, probable?, certain?), line 2 will serve from the Jean Médecin station to the airport and the CADAM with 17 stations, including 2 underground, in less than twenty minutes. And that, in 2017.
This postponement would allow deferring 92 million before taxes out of the 650 of the total cost. The decision will be made based on the economic context and funding freezes.
“A clever tactic” to pin a decision that will surely be a source of discourse and criticism by the people of Nice on the Government? Financial difficulties due to an excess of investments? Prudence or deceit? Only time will tell.
What is easy to predict is that this decision will be one of the discussion points in the city’s cafes ahead of the upcoming municipal deadlines of 2014.
As for the opposition, they did not delay in reacting through Patrick Allemand’s pen:
Line 2 of the Tram: Tartuffe has spoken!
“From the start, the Change of Era group denounced this absurd project of line 2 of the underground tram that never held water. Christian Estrosi is now trying to cover up his incompetence and inability to complete this line by placing the blame on the government.
When you defend a project evaluated at 780 million euros and, moreover, in 5 years, a debt of over a billion euros has been built up at the Metropolis, blaming these budget difficulties on the government because the State’s allocation is going to decrease by 3 million euros amounts to hypocrisy!”
