The Strasbourg Eurometropolis Cycling Plan is expected to cost 100 million euros, and will make it possible to develop around a hundred kilometers of new cycle paths. Launched in 2021, the overall project must, by 2026, transform the urban area and change lifestyles.
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It is no longer a trend, it is the very essence of the policy pursued in Strasbourg and its metropolitan area: giving a central place to the bicycle. The Alsatian capital has long been among the elite of the most cycle-friendly large cities in France, with Grenoble in particular. Across all 33 municipalities in the Eurometropolis, there are 750 kilometers of slopes. It will soon be necessary to add around a hundred additional kilometers.
100 million euros have in fact been put on the table as part of the famous Vélo plan which extends over five years, between 2021 and 2026. “It’s very ambitiousconcedes Pia Imbs, president of the Eurométropole. We are not only targeting Strasbourg, but also the first and second crowns.she adds, visiting this Tuesday, October 29, a construction site in progress in Oberhausbergen, at the gates of Kochersberg.
Around fifty projects have already been completed, the other half will be completed by the end of the mandate
Pia Imbs, president of the Strasbourg Eurometropolis
On average in France, 2.6% of workers went to work by bike in 2020, according to an INSEE survey. Within the Strasbourg metropolitan area, this statistic rises to 13.8%. This gap may well have widened further, with the practice being stimulated by large promotional campaigns such as “To work by bike”. When some motorists denounce increasingly prohibitive rules concerning cars, Pias Imbs prefers to speak “incentive” to take his two-wheeler.
“We are trying to make this alternative interesting for local residents, hence the interest in having well-identified and secure cycle paths. The idea is also to serve major centers of economic activity, such as Vigie, European business area in Schiltigheim or the autonomous port.”
Planned over 680 meters, the redevelopment of the Saverne road, which should be completed in mid-December, is also a good example of the indirect effects generated by the creation of a track, here bi-directional. “Here, we are next to the schools. What we notice is that behavior changes naturally when we rework the roads. It is now less linear with chicanes, and the cars drive slower”explains Cécile Delattre, mayor of Oberhausbergen.
In Oberhausbergen, west of Strasbourg, a new bi-directional track will be opened in mid-December.
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© Cathy Huber/ France televisions.
In everyday reality, cohabitation is far from always clear, particularly in downtown Strasbourg. Between cars, pedestrians, scooters and, of course, cyclists, incivility is legion, and often coupled with aggression, particularly during rush hours. “We are aware of this. It is also a question of good citizenship and respect between all users. Each configuration must be designed so that the cyclist does not feel in danger and does not put anyone in danger”consider Pia Imbs.
The game is not yet won and certain sectors are particularly problematic. In front of Les Halles, in the court district where bicycles must now use the bus lanes, or even on the Quai des Bateliers, there are numerous problems. By 2026, bicycle circulation should be made more fluid thanks to certain large-scale projects, as part of the Bicycle plan.
The ring, around the Big Island, should thus close thanks to the extension of cycle routes in the Place d'Austerlitz district. We can also mention the VéloStras sud, which will connect the Esplanade, Neudorf and Meinau districts to Illkirch over 3.8 kilometers, notably via Avenue de Colmar, which is very accident-prone.
“We are also planning more parking lots to prevent theft and improving signage so people get lost less. I also don’t forget to talk about the greening of all these roads”concludes the president of the Eurometropolis, also involved in the extension of tram lines, especially in the north. So many projects in favor of soft mobility which are transforming the urban topography and which invite you to use your vehicle less and less.
