The proposal from the president of the metropolis, Bruno Bernard, to create a tramway to serve the municipalities of Caluire and Rillieux aroused the indignation of the right-wing mayors there, who pointed to an electoral promise.
The evolution of the public transport network remains at the heart of the Lyon countryside. After a start to the week which saw the Aulas camp bring out the E metro project in the west, now also favored by the RN, the weekend controversy focuses on the idea of a new tramway in the north, presented by the outgoing left-wing environmentalist majority. This new line, which would serve the municipalities of Caluire and Rillieux, is being defeated by the right-wing mayors concerned, who are calling for heavy, buried transport. The latter, gathered behind Jean-Michel Aulas, especially denounce the «times-face» of the outgoing president of the metropolis, Bruno Bernard (EELV), whom they accuse of inaction during his mandate.
In addition to maintaining the West Lyon Express Tramway (TEOL), the extension of free access to all children of parents subscribed to the TCL network and a continuous service on weekends – already known -, Bruno Bernard’s transport plan, presented on Tuesday, therefore provides for a new tram line to the north. Eight kilometers of rails from Part-Dieu to connect Caluire-et-Cuire and Rillieux-la-Pape, via Charpennes. These two landlocked municipalities in the northern suburbs do not currently benefit from heavy transport other than the metro C terminus in Caluire, although they have 75,000 inhabitants between them, 83,000 if we add Sathonay Camp. The outgoing left-wing environmentalist union list intends to correct this by 2034, with a budget of 350 million euros for a surface route. A second version “more complex”with a semi-buried route, is also planned for 900 million euros and delivery in 2040.
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At least 40,000 travelers daily
It is this last option which is favored by the mayors of the plateau. In a joint press release, the councilors of Caluire, Rillieux and Sathonay – Bastien Joint (LR), Alexandre Vincendet (Horizons) and Damien Monnier (DVC) – recall their position while vilifying “electoral promises in total contradiction with six years of refusal”. The mayors of the plateau, through “this late turnaround” by Bruno Bernard, denounce “an admission of failure”, “as for the announcement of new Vélov stations”. “Since the beginning, they have defended together a clear and coherent solution: a service to the Plateau Nord buried under the Montée des Soldats, making it possible to connect the Sathonay-Rillieux station and reach Osterode, in order to sustainably reduce pollution and traffic jams”indicates their press release.
“The route has existed since 2020, but the consultation was buried by Bruno Bernard”Alexandre Vincendet chokes again. “There is a corridor of 100,000 inhabitants which is not served, the north lacks transport densityinsists Bastien Joint. We need real heavy underground transport “. The latter would make it possible to transport 40,000 travelers every day according to Bruno Bernard, 80,000 according to Alexandre Vincendet, who recalls the flows coming from the Ain plain. The mayor of Rillieux, like his neighbors, prefers the buried solution to the surface one, emphasizing the effectiveness and the expropriation times of the second.
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The fact remains that the Aulas camp has not yet made any announcements for the northern plateau in this campaign, as Fabrice Matteucci, head of the PS list in the constituency and opposition councilor in Caluire, responded to the mayors. Alexandre Vincendet, who leads the Aulasian list in his city and his metropolitan constituency, ensures that he is working on it and recalls the proposals made during the mandate. The challenges in terms of passengers transported are similar to those estimated for the Teol and metro E projects, to the west of the metropolis.
