towards an extension of the network to the South and East
It was during a first public meeting, on December 1, that the extension of the Dijon tramway network was proposed. The tram network has been in operation for 10 years in the city of the Dukes, and transports more than 100,000 passengers per day.
Should the tramway network be extended in the Dijon conurbation? The project is on the table of the Metropolis, in particular through this series of 3 public meetings in this month of December 2022.
Among the themes dear to the President of the Metropolis and Mayor of Dijon, François Rebsamen, that of soft mobility, which is intrinsically linked to sustainable development. The Dijon tram at 10 years old, and remains a standard for the city: “The tram is ecological, it lowers the carbon footprint, and it is a means of transport that is not too expensive, compared to the individual car. It is a modern means of developing cities.
After 10 years, it is normal to wonder about how to revive, develop and better serve the population and economic areas. I will present a study that must be carried out to decide how the tram will be developed.
To the question of the cost of extending the tram lines, the President of Dijon Métropole does not give a precise answer. It is a preliminary study that will determine the details of the declination of the line extensions, and the costs: “We know what the tram cost. It’s expensive as an investment, it’s 20 million euros per kilometer, it must have increased since then. My impression is that the tram must be developed on the South, to go further, there are important economic zones; on avenue Carraz (Urgo, Adhex, Corden Pharma) there is a center over there with 1,500 employees, there are inhabitants, we must develop the tram, the Study will tell us.”
François Rebsamen also wants the eastern part of Dijon to be considered by an extension of the tram, such as the canton of Quétigny-Chevigny: “a canton where there are more than 45,000 inhabitants. The study will tell us if we need a tram, a bus on its own site. We are going to launch this study. These studies are long, are expensive, they allow the Metropolitan Council to make a decision.”
A wish shared by the inhabitants of Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur. 52% of them believe that their city is poorly served by public transport.
Chevignois must take a bus, then join the tram at Quetigny to get to Dijon, a journey of about 45 minutes. Having a direct tram line would be a real relief. Lilou is waiting for her bus, the Liane 7 to reach Dijon via the Quetigny tram: “If you have an appointment, you really have to leave an hour in advance, to be really sure of arriving on time. I find it quite long and it’s really annoying.”
The mayor of Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur, Guillaume Ruet (LR), describes the existing service: “today we have a vine, the vine 7, which leaves from the Quétigny tram stop and serves the whole city and unfortunately, we are one of the big cities of the Metropolis not to have a direct line or have a heavy mode of transportation.”
He hopes for the arrival of the tram in his town: “there is a lot of talk about substituting the private car for public transport, it still has to be possible to do it, it still has to be that it is not a problem in daily life, that there is a strong expectation of service, a fast, quality, regular service.”
Calendar side, horizon 2026
Proportionality and cost forecasting studies will be long, warns François Rebsamen: “There are two or three years. The idea is that the Metropolitan Council can decide on the plan. The Metropolis will pay for these studies. The decision will be taken by the newly elected officials who will decide in 2026 for the construction.”
The next meetings of the Metropolitan project
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 7 p.m., in Chenôve, in the presence of Thierry Falconnet, Mayor of Chenôve and Vice-President of Dijon Métropole – Gymnase Le Chapitre, 4 rue Général Giraud
Monday, December 12, 2022 at 7 p.m., in Quetigny, in the presence of Rémi Détang, Mayor of Quetigny and Vice-President of Dijon Métropole – Gymnase Pierre Mendès-France, 8 rue des Vergers