The elected representatives of Nantes Métropole meet in metropolitan council this Thursday and, as at each session, it will be a question of investments in favor of public transport, the tramway in particular. Since the re-election of Johanna Rolland (PS), Nantes Métropole has confirmed an ambitious development plan for soft transport based, in large part, on the creation of three new lines in its own lane (two tram, one busway) at the horizon 2027. Attractive on paper, this strategy is nevertheless widely criticized by a citizens’ association bringing together “between 120 and 150” Nantes transport enthusiasts: The Mobilitans. This “apolitical” group, rather unfavorable to the private car, reproaches the community, to begin with, for not exploiting the existing railway lines.
“We like the tram, it’s obviously better than a bus, explains Jeff Abrahamson. But the project of mini lines serving the island of Nantes costs an astronomical sum and will not really meet the challenges. People who will go to the future CHU from the south or north of the department will not come by tram. It’s a distant connection that they need. These few kilometers of tramway are all the more regrettable as the railways already cross the island of Nantes and are underused. Worse, while cities seek to develop the railway, we are preparing to remove rails at the Gare de l’Etat. It’s not consistent. »
Not convinced by the Anne-de-Bretagne project
The Mobilitains, who regret the “lack of cooperation between the metropolis and the region” on the subject of rail, recommend adding passenger trains on and to the island of Nantes and to build three small intermediate stations: at the level of the CHU, at the level of the quai des Antilles and, above all, at Beaulieu. They also suggest putting back into service the railway going to Bouguenais via Atout Sud and another going to the airport. “From the island of Nantes, we could have direct connections to Grand-Lieu, Savenay, Clisson, Pornic or Châteaubriant. The route, the rails, already exist, it’s an opportunity to seize, “insists Jeff Abrahamson.
In the same spirit, the Mobiltainers are skeptical about the project to widen the Anne-de-Bretagne bridge. “The benefits in terms of mobility are not very obvious. We still don’t know exactly where the tram will pass. They would prefer a new bridge close to the Banana Hangar to provide a “new crossing point” and allow the “connection of the railway coming from Chantenay with that of the island of Nantes”.
Safe bike lanes, not lanes
The association is also critical of what is being done for cycling. “The plan for the metropolis should be much more ambitious, considers Jeff Abrahamson. What has been done in recent years are mostly painted cycle lanes on the ground and not secure cycle paths. It’s not the same thing at all. Traveling on a cycle lane with a child in contact with cars is sometimes frightening. There are some pretty good examples of tracks in Nantes, but if we want results, we need a lot more, even if it means having to make temporary arrangements. It would be necessary in particular in the peripheral communes, these territories are sometimes forgotten. Nantes Métropole still plans to invest 115 million euros until the end of the mandate (2026) for the development of cycling. “It seems like a lot. But when we look at the sums spent on the tram or the widening of the Bellevue bridge, we understand that it is ultimately not that much, ”judges the president of the citizens’ association.
More generally, the Mobilitains wish to “encourage the debate” and “promote the reflection of the inhabitants” on transport. “Mobility concerns everyone. Everyone can be interested in it. Everyone can have an opinion”, is convinced Jeff Abrahamson.