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Extensive second tramline proposed for Nice
2011-10-27 15:01
The new East-West tramline in Nice is the more ambitious sibling of the current tramway system which opened in 2007. The plan is to link the airport and the administrative centre of the city, via a system of overground and underground stations, with a projected journey time of under 30 minutes.
Nice is a beautiful and historic city, but it has been plagued with traffic in recent years, especially that coming in from outlying areas such as Sophia-Antipolis. The proposed East-West line is intended not only to reduce the vast number of cars that pass daily along the Promenade des Anglais, but also to serve 200,000 passengers from the neighbourhoods it passes through.
In essence, the futuristic plan has met with substantial public approval, its supporters envisaging the revitalization of Nice in the image of other major European cities. Mayor Christian Estrosi is in absolutely no doubt – 'We intend to make Nice the green city of the 21st century; and the West-East line of the tramway is the consistent link that binds together multiple other projects already underway.'
The planned route does not stop at the construction of tramlines. There would also be wider pavements, new green spaces, and nearly 2,000 additional trees planted along the route of the tramway. And the extensive urban renewal project at Les Moulins will be enhanced by the addition of two stations to improve access for the area’s 10,000 inhabitants. 'We aim to make our city even more beautiful,' Estrosi maintains, 'by enhancing its environment and its heritage while equipping it with clean technologies for a sustainable and peaceful future.'
In today’s bustling cities, few would argue there is a cleaner, more energy-efficient solution to public transport than the tram. Yet the initial build is often so costly that many ambitious plans are compromised or shelved, and there are always detractors, from bus-drivers to conservationists to politicians, all of whom get very heated whenever a new blueprint is rolled out. The sorry story of the Edinburgh tramline, which has been chopped and changed and is now well behind time and budget, is a cautionary tale for any city intending to implement a new tram system.
But the success of Nice’s existing tramline has been an encouraging start, and the idea of a second line from the Port to Nice Airport – with a branch line to CADAM, the Stade Charles-Ehrmann and the Palais Nikaia – has already attracted widespread public support.
One of the more challenging areas of the new tramway would be the proposed underground stations, designed to minimize disruption to existing traffic and to preserve the historic parts of the city. In each subterranean station there would be a mezzanine level allowing passengers to cross the lines without the need for long pedestrian tunnels (above). But such constructions are bound to raise the overall cost, estimated at between €800m and €1bn including grants and subsidies.
The Mayor, however, is not for turning: 'The tram is not only a means of transport,' he stresses: 'it will be the artery which irrigates our city by serving major attractions and neighbourhoods.' He envisages many greater economic benefits, with more people commuting to work between Nice and its existing or soon-to-be-developed business parks, and additional business for the central restaurants, hotels and shops.
The plan is to begin the tunnelling phase in 2013, with delivery of the entire tramline by 2016. Overambitious? We'll see.