“New collateral damage from the war in Ukraine? “, ironically a user in the face of a situation that could curl, at first sight, the ridiculous. In front of the Russian consulate, place Sébastien Brant in Strasbourg, right in the middle of the very busy cycle path, there is indeed a device of metal barriers supposed, if necessary, to protect the consulate. Yes but now, pedestrians and cyclists find themselves deported either on the road, very busy, or having to squeeze on the small sidewalk which remains available. A hazard that will still cost Strasbourg taxpayers no less than 16,000 euros because workarounds, announced on social networks two weeks ago by city councilor Sophie Dupressoir, are very soon planned to circumvent the difficulty.
An “accident-prone situation”, notes the city and which “tends to last, because these barriers were installed at the start of the conflict in Ukraine”, recalls Marina Lafay, the elected representative of the district where the consulate is located. Because if obviously it is easy to move them, it appears that this is impossible, by decision “of the prefecture”, explains the elected official. Why ? Requested by 20 minutes, the Bas-Rhin prefecture did not wish to respond to our questions. We nevertheless remember the troubles in front of the consulate which had taken place at the start of the conflict, a policeman injured in an altercation, or even swastikas tagged…
A cycle path on the roadway
Entrenched in its uncertainty, the city says it waited for the situation to improve, in vain. “We had observed things from the start, without knowing how long it would last… And with concern, because it can be very dangerous, embarrassing for the cohabitation of pedestrians and bicycles but also for cyclists who swerve on a very difficult axis. circulating”, recalls Marina Lafay. Failing to wait for an improvement on the side of the Eastern front, the city therefore “decided to secure the premises by reallocating a cycle path on the roadway, the only possible solution to sanctuarize a space, given that in fact, bicycles, even pedestrians, go on the road”. This will be two-way on the side of the consulate and well delimited.
This new development, transitional at first, will be evaluated again to stay in place. “And as a mess on one side calls for a mess on the other”, image Marina Lafay, it was also decided to develop in the opposite direction, on the other side of the square. A lane on the road will also be reserved for bicycles and buses and the crossing for pedestrians will be better identified.
Works which are however “suspended to the vagaries of the weather”, indicates the city, which specifies that “this will be done as soon as possible, as soon as possible”. Development work with the promise that “traffic will be maintained” during the two days of necessary work…