Toulouse. After the experiment, towards the permanent pedestrianization of the St-Pierre bridge from the summer of 2023
By David Saint-Sernin
Published on
It is an experiment which has, it seems, given satisfaction on the side of the City of Toulouse.
Closed to cars and only open to pedestrians and cyclists between mid-July and mid-September, st peter’s bridge will probably adopt this configuration soon, permanently.
” On the right track “
“Nothing has been finalized and consultation will be carried out with local residents in the first quarter of 2023, but given the results recorded this summer and at the start of the school year, I think that the sustainability of the pedestrianization of the Saint-Pierre bridge is very likely. And that it should start from July 2023, it is on the right track”, announces to Toulouse News, Jean-Paul Bouche, the mayor of the Saint-Cyprien district.
No surcharge from other downtown bridges
What is the town hall based on to show its optimism on the file?
“On average, this summer, the Saint-Pierre bridge welcomed around 5,000 pedestrians and 2,000 cyclists every day. And we have seen a drop in traffic on the main roads around compared to summer 2021: -60% on rue du pont Saint-Pierre, -10% on crossing the pont Neuf “and -50% rue de the Republic. And at the start of the school year, there was no surcharge, neither from the Pont Neuf nor from the Pont des Catalans, ”reports the elected official.
The opinion of the Capitol therefore seems rather solidified on the question. It therefore remains to be seen how the transformation of the Saint-Pierre bridge will take place?
Cycle path early 2023
Only certainty, it will be done in several stages.
The first step is known. This will be the creation of a two-way cycle path on rue du pont Saint-Pierre and on the pont Saint-Pierre. Work will begin in the first quarter of 2023, as announced during the back-to-school conference of the mayor, Jean-Luc Moudenc.
The cycle path will recover one of the traffic lanes from the rue du pont Saint-Pierre, then from the pont Saint-Pierre as shown in the Synthesis image below.
Until the summer, motorists could still reach St. Peter’s Square on the remaining lane.
Two-quarter consultation
At the same time as this phase of work, the town hall of Toulouse will carry out a consultation with the two districts on the front line of this upheaval: the Saint-Cyprien and Saint-Pierre districts.
“Some ask in particular to be able to put a few potted trees on the bridge, some have already analyzed the impact of the paint on the temperature recorded on the bridge…”, explains Jean-Paul Bouche.
This consultation will therefore make it possible to bring forward the proposals of the users and to study the technique of these.
During this time, the development of the cycle path will be completed. “It will be temporary,” announces Jean-Paul Bouche.
Final closure in summer 2023
The bridge will then be closed to traffic in July 2023. A closure which should therefore be final and which will make it possible to consider more lightly the redevelopment of the bridge which will then be exclusively reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and idleness.
The Saint Cyp’ – Saint-Sernin axis
A bridge that will take place in a much larger redevelopment, which will include the entire axis between Saint-Cyprien and Saint-Sernin.
But also the axis going from Esquirol to Saint-Cyprien.
A project of which Jean-Luc Moudenc had explained the main axes to Toulouse News few months ago :
“The idea is to move towards pedestrianization on an axis that will go from Saint-Cyprien to Saint-Sernin. But to do this, you have to go step by step. The first stage, which will be completed on this mandate (i.e. in 2026, editor’s note), is the redevelopment of rue Valade, then the extension of this development towards Saint-Sernin. Also in this mandate, we will carry out the redevelopment of rue Saint-Pierre and the bridge Saint-Pierre”.
Rue Valade will follow
As part of this project, rue Valade, well known to students from Toulouse 1 Capitole University since it is the most direct route to access the bars of Place Saint-Pierre, will be redeveloped.
What does this redevelopment provide? Ideally, the creation of a cycle path “to comfort and protect cyclists going to Place Saint-Pierre”.
A vegetated border would be created along the cycle path with, in particular, the planting of 6 trees.
The town hall announced a few months ago: “We want to beautify the street, protect users, bring more nature to the city to fight against heat islands and make rue Valade pleasant and peaceful”.
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