Rouen. Soon a large cycle path and less parking on Boulevard de l’Europe
Through Mathieu Normand
Published on
We will know more about the new network of cycle paths desired by the Metropolis of Rouen (Seine-Maritime). The metropolitan councilor in charge of cycling, Juliette Biville, in fact present a first mapping during the metropolitan council Monday, December 13, 2021. The opportunity to create a debate around this project among elected officials, and of course to discover the structuring and interweaving of the route, divided into a structuring network of expressways called Tower and a network of local roads named Riv.
“All that makes about 200 kilometers of cycle paths with separate facilities for pedestrians, a red asphalt and a system like for buses with numbering”, announces the vice-president in charge of transport, mobilities of the future and active modes of travel, Cyrille Moreau. Track number 1 concerns in particular the boulevard de l’Europe, where no cycling facilities existed until then. The bike will soon share the space with the car.
A two-way track on the southern part
“The poor relation [en matière d’aménagement cyclable] is the left bank, with the Boulevard de l’Europe at its height, a road link that is not practicable in a cycle, unless you are depressed and have decided to put an end to existence ”, summarizes Cyrille Moreau. The development will consist of a two-way track installed on the southern part of the boulevard. It will be of a width – determined “from the narrowest passage” – of 3 meters, the minimum dimension recommended by the center for studies and expertise on risks, the environment, mobility and development ( Cerema).
This track will connect the Guillaume-Le Conquérant bridge, which will be its starting point in the West. To the east, it joins the quays and then the Corneille bridge by turning just before the Mathilde bridge. Its bidirectional aspect means that cyclists circulate in both directions on the southern part. “This will lead us to be very vigilant in the treatment of crossings of the boulevard”, assures the elected official, with installations allowing to calm the traffic.
“Thorny subject” parking
The development also contributes to improving ecological continuity. “This is the opportunity, given the width of the boulevard, to add biodiversity”, indicates the elected representative who mentions the establishment of a “plant mall creating an east-west connection”. These changes have led to the elimination of “most of the parking” on this southern part, ie around 250 spaces.
“It is a thorny subject, which creates confusion and will cause debate. For the people who will react against the project, this will probably be the main point of tension. A study carried out upstream has shown that this parking lot on the south shore corresponds more to a “home-work opportunity parking lot”, when on the other side it would be more residential. The elected official hopes that the new development will want some motorists to use the bike to get to work.
Consultation with user associations, traders, businesses and residents has already started. Three times dedicated more to residents, with workshops and urban walks, are planned during the week following the presentation of the cycling network map. The technical realization of the development of Boulevard de l’Europe should begin in summer 2022 with the aim of delivery before April 2023, so as not to impact the next Armada.
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