“The original sin is still there”, Bordeaux at heart continues to oppose the project

2023-09-18 04:00:00

Didn’t we bury Bordeaux a little too quickly, as the construction of the high level of service bus (BHNS), known as the express bus, progressed between Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc and Saint-Jean station? Formed by residents whose main contingent lives in the Saint-Seurin district, the association will be fondly remembered by all, and incidentally by Bordeaux Métropole, on Wednesday September 20, at the administrative court of Bordeaux: seizure two years ago, the jurisdiction will examine the merits of the request for suspension of the prefectural order…

Didn’t we bury Bordeaux a little too quickly, as the construction of the high level of service bus (BHNS), known as the express bus, progressed between Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc and Saint-Jean station? Formed by residents whose main contingent lives in the Saint-Seurin district, the association will be fondly remembered by all, and incidentally by Bordeaux Métropole, on Wednesday September 20, at the administrative court of Bordeaux: seizure two years ago, the jurisdiction will examine the merits of the request for suspension of the prefectural order of declaration of public utility (DUP). Already in 2017, she had obtained the cancellation of a first DUP.

Between perseverance and last stand, these residents, who claim 600 supporters in their ranks, including “400” up to date with contributions, are contesting the merits of a 154.6 million euro project tied up under the old Juppeist majority of the Metropolis, taken up by the news in 2020, and whose work will end in June 2024. “Should we throw in the towel because they have passed in force? » asks Benjamin Sarfati, vice-president of Bordeaux à coeur. “We remain dignified,” says Françoise Basteau, the president.

Caricature

Because Bordeaux at heart deplores the “polarization” of the debate, with the corollary “caricature” to which the association would have been reduced. “The owners of 4x4s who can no longer park in their cobbled streets,” summarizes Benjamin Sarfati, adding, for all intents and purposes: “Politically, we are very diverse, we couldn’t be more diverse. » These opponents have focused on the high level of service bus project since 2017 out of “personal convenience”, recognizes the vice-president, fearing both the shift to one-way streets and the loss of parking spaces ( around sixty in total) and the risk of seeing these buses, whose length reaches 18 meters, enter an old neighborhood at a sustained pace.

“We put a hippopotamus through the eye of a needle, there are going to be accidents,” warns Françoise Basteau. Starting point for an opposition constantly fueled, say those concerned, by the management of the project, its “unpreparedness” and other gropings. “We saw the way in which it takes shape, the way in which it is installed, and we realize that it is dysfunctional on all sides,” wonders Benjamin Sarfati. Bordeaux at heart does not budge, the elected officials “refused to consider all the obstacles on the project and left head on”.

Work is underway in Bordeaux for commissioning planned for early 2024.

Jean-Maurice Everyone/ “SOUTH WEST”

“Archaic approach”

Thus, the star layout, already denounced by the association, would be an “archaic approach”, “captive of a logic of favor return”, tackles Benjamin Sarfati. It is not for lack of having requested in 2019, from Mayor Nicolas Florian, a “counter-investigation”, but entrusted to the “same firm”, “it came to the conclusion that it was the right course . Could we imagine for a second that he was going to back down? »

“Seeing these sections take shape, they are so many reminders of a fundamentally dysfunctional structure”

According to Bordeaux à coeur, the passage of buses, even if they are electric, will have impacts on neighboring buildings which have not been assessed. Added to the argument are questions about the displayed pace, the duration of the total journey, the work necessary for battery charging infrastructure, in particular the construction of a depot, or even the definition of buses with a high level of service, which will only have 50% of itinerary on its own site.

On the same subject

Bordeaux, an express bus in summer 2024

In ten months, the Bordeaux metropolis will have the first of its six high-level service bus lines (BHNS) between Saint-Aubin-de-Médoc and Saint-Jean de Bordeaux station

Quack

“This project cannot be qualified as a BRT because it would have to provide 70% of the infrastructure on its own site to be considered as a BRT,” noted the National Federation of Transport User Associations in 2020, argues Bordeaux at heart . “Where there is no traffic problem, there is no need to put dedicated bus lanes,” put Clément Rossignol Puech, vice-president of Bordeaux Métropole in charge of mobility in “Sud Ouest” into perspective. from September 5. Incidentally, the hiccup in the delivery of electric buses brings grist to the mill of the association, already perplexed by the announced autonomy of the machines.

After two years of work, is the completion of the project, in particular the construction of sidewalks and the new road surface, likely to influence the protests, or even “calm” the spirits? “Seeing these sections take shape, they are so many reminders of a fundamentally dysfunctional structure,” says Benjamin Sarfati. “The original sin is still there,” adds Guillaume Boraud, the treasurer.

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