Reduction in speed, noise, pollution… This Essonne road is getting a new life

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The discontent of many motorists will not have stopped them. This Friday, November 8, 2024, Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément, the mayor of Mennecy, and François Durovray, the minister of transport and president of the department of Essonne, inaugurated the new portion of the RD191 which is changed from 4 to 2 lanes from the entrance to Mennecy, at the Aquastade, to the Post Office roundabout.

Three accidents in the space of three months in 2021

“The RD191, which crosses Essonne from Corbreuse to the A6, only had a 2 x 2 lane sector which was these approximately 1,400 meters located in Mennecy. There was absolutely enormous noise pollution for local residents caused by the 13,000 vehicle days who use this road. We therefore had to change this to offer a better quality of life to local residents and make them feel safe,” explains Jean-Philippe Dugoin-Clément.

Note that these 2 x 2 lanes generated dangerous speed peaks for pedestrians and cyclists. Three accidents, including one involving a person riding a bicycle, occurred in the space of three months in 2021.

Following this observation, the Department of Essonne agreed in December 2021 to set up an experiment which consisted of changing to 2 x 1 lane the only traffic lane located on the Parc Villeroy side. This test period, which lasted almost a year, made it possible to ensure that there were no negative effects such as an increase in transport time.

“This experiment was conclusive despite the raging floods of hatred that we received on social networks where people were telling us: “You are crazy”, “You are going to break traffic”. And the reality today is that no one wants to go back on it. We have therefore started the phase of work which represents a cost of around 1.3 million euros, including €400,000 financed by the Town Hall,” specifies the mayor of Mennecy.

A traffic route in favor of soft mobility

The new 2 x 1 lane section benefited, last April, from new sound-proofing coatings in order to further reduce nuisances. The part of traffic, located on the Village Levitt side, between the Post Office roundabout and the new gendarmerie, is now a dead-end municipal road where priority is given to cyclists, and the speed is limited to 30 km/h. The other part which extends from the gendarmerie to the Aquastade footbridge will be redeveloped in the coming months by the town of Mennecy.

“A first phase of work will start for delivery in April 2025,” declares the elected official. The objective is to be able to offer on one lane, while keeping a lane intended for soft mobility and pedestrians, a playground which will extend over a hundred meters in length with modules, benches and tables. We also want to set up outdoor sports facilities as well as a city stadium at the Aquastade. »

Even if all the work is not completed, the positive effects of this new development are still already visible, such as a reduction in noise pollution, speed, pollution, better security or even a beautification of the city with significant vegetation.

“We must imagine public space, no doubt, differently from what we imagined 30 or 40 years ago. We have regained public space here to use other types of travel such as the bike or scooter while rediscovering the city. This new space will be a meeting and living space,” rejoices François Durovray.

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