It was part of the thunderous announcements of Emmanuel Macron. During his last visit to Marseille, the Head of State pledged to release an envelope of one billion euros, with the aim of creating four tram lines and five bus lines with a high level of service ( BRT). Two weeks before a new visit by the Head of State, the president of the RTM (LR) Catherine Pila takes stock of the roadmap that she is preparing to return to the president.
Where did this figure for four tram lines cited by the president come from?
There is a section between Castellane and La Gaye in 2025, another between Rome and Place du 4 Septembre for 2026, another between La Gaye and La Rouvière in 2028, and a last between National, Arenc and La Belle de Mai in 2030 .
But aren’t these new lines? The president had spoken of “creation” …
They are indeed extensions, in particular of line 3 of the tramway. There is no interest, neither in the operational nor financially, to start again on new lines. We are extending the existing lines. But, ultimately, these are new projects, and they become, in fact, new lines.
The president also mentioned high level service bus lines (BRTs). What are they ?
First, there is the creation of a line between Gèze and La Fourragère in 2024. We also have the connection of several BRTs. We presented all these projects during lunch with the President of the Republic a transport development project (She unfolds a diagram). That’s all we want. There are things voted on, and which will be carried out. There are also wishful thinking.
What are “wishful thinking” as you say?
All that will be done much later, after 2030. The extension of the tramway towards the Belle de Mai for example is not voted. We are told about an extension of the metro. We’re not there yet. The president told the head of state: we would need a billion for transport …
That’s what he brings, right?
He promises 250 million offered in quotes, a sort of presidential gift to the metropolis. We should have the billion in approximately 2025. It is not tomorrow what. And it is an advance to be repaid. Will we be able to finance everything? We must see.
What are you going to be able to do with the 250 million donated by the Elysée?
Logically part of the extension of the tram and part of the BRTs. On October 15, when the president returns, do we propose everything or do we propose only one tram line and two BRT? We do not know it yet, we are working on it, in a team meeting, with the director general for mobility and the president of the metropolis Martine Vassal. We will also use a part, to be defined, for the automation of the metro at 600 million, which was already planned and financed.
So the president will not fund new projects?
Automation on our side would have been good without this money, but without the president’s help, it would have been additional debt. There, we will get into debt differently. What we won’t put in the metro, we will put in the tram. The main thing is to have 250 million on the table, hard and fast. And in terms of image, the president will have helped us to automate the metro.
When should these 250 million arrive in the coffers of the metropolis?
We don’t have a date. On October 15, we submit to the president. On February 5, the president returns. And then we will have the orientations.
The presidential elections will be a few weeks later. Are you not afraid of working in a vacuum, or of being trapped by electoral deadlines?
If he engages and signs on February 5, whether he is president or not on April 24, I doubt that his successor, if not him, will dedicate himself on the subject. And I am not a prisoner of anything. It can be seen as an electoral sequence. It would be a shame if Marseille were at the heart of a political fight a few months before the presidential election. I see it as an aid to Marseille which lacked state support from previous presidents.
What will the creation of a public interest group (Gip) change?
The Gip will make it possible to supervise both the manna and the projects. I also really hope that this will lead to a consensus that will make the various communities work hand in hand. The Marseille Spring has won over the city. Martine Vassal has reached the metropolis. There are differences of point of view. We are all aware of it. The goal of the Gip is to work together, avoiding snags. We understand that if there is no consensus, there will be no financial assistance. If there is no financial assistance, the city will suffer.
But you start to work on projects to submit to the President, without involving the city. Isn’t it paradoxical to want consensus in these conditions?
For the moment, the Gip has not yet been established. He’s at a standstill. We have neither the modalities nor the timetable. For now, it is therefore up to the metropolis to make proposals. Once the proposals are accepted, there will be the creation of the Gip and then we will have to be in a consensus discussion.
Why not have worked even informally in the city of Marseille?
So, there I will tell you. The city of Marseille could, even informally, have informed us of the pedestrianization of the Old Port before working there with services that do not have jurisdiction over mobility. But that is the little political fight.
We therefore fall back into the “local chicayas” castigated by Emmanuel Macron…
We will inevitably fall back to it. Ms Gatian, the deputy mayor in charge of mobility, is certainly a very nice person, but she does not sit in the metropolis. It is part of the paradoxes. Currently, we are working on a first draft. We make proposals. They may or may not like it on October 15th. We are working on a rewrite and on February 5, logically, we have a roadmap with the millions aligned. And when the Gip is created, we will reach out to the city of Marseille.