Users of Lausanne station know this: since December 2022, the city has put in place temporary arrangements and activities on Place de la Gare, following the delay in the CFF construction site. But does it meet their expectations? To find out, the municipality commissioned an external evaluation, the results of which it has just published.
Conclusion of the report: more than 90% of Lausanne residents and commuters surveyed believe that the temporary arrangements were necessary. And they gave them a satisfactory rating of 6.5 out of 10. A third emphasized that they found the space pleasant and appreciated that the facilities offer a place to rest or meet near the station.
As for what they expect from the permanent Station Square, planned not before 2037, respondents want practicality: 76% believe that it must be a functional space between the different modes of transport. It must also be clean and users must feel safe there. And 29% of them want it to become a place to wait and take a break. On the other hand, only 10% wish to continue to see it as an entertainment area.
The observation is therefore clear for Lausanne, which will drop the ice rink, pétanque or other small activities. The municipality is no longer planning anything on the site until work resumes on Place de la Gare this fall, while remaining open to possible projects, it said. It further specifies that it was able to invoice the CFF for the cost of the developments and their operation, which amounts to 585,000 francs.
Note also that the report highlights many points for improvement in the future. So while access to the station by metro, bus or bicycle is widely welcomed, 32% of respondents criticized the difficulty of parking or dropping someone off by car (32%). The poor attendance at the Square which causes insecurity was also highlighted (28%), as was the dirt, noise and lack of lighting, reported by 27% of respondents.
