Criticized for the expropriations it will generate, the Sept Chemins Bus à haut niveau de service (BHNS) project, which is to link the east of the Lyon metropolis to Part-Dieu, has just seen its horizon pushed back by ecologist elected representatives, who accuse the right of fueling the rebellion.
Le Figaro Lyon
After banners on shops and meetings over steaming coffee cups, they’ve finally decided to go to court. The Association des habitants et commerçants de la route de Genas (Association of residents and shopkeepers of the route de Genas) filed an appeal with the administrative court on Tuesday October 22, challenging the construction of a new road on the route de Genas. the Bus à haut niveau de service (BHNS) project which is to run along this eastern axis of the Lyon metropolitan area, marking the border between Bron and Villeurbanne. They take up the reservations expressed by the investigating commissioner in the conclusions of his opinion, which was nonetheless favorable to the declaration of public utility (DUP).
Supported by the local transport regulatory authority (Sytral Mobilités), in which environmentalists form a large majority, this super bus should benefit from a dedicated corridor linking the east of Bron to Part-Dieu in 25 minutes. It will be lined with a super bicycle path, the Voie Lyonnaise 11, named after this 250-kilometre express bicycle network planned for 2030. All of these developments require a 24-metre wide carriageway, in order to maintain a one-way traffic lane towards the heart of Lyon. This is more than the route de Genas offers, even without parking spaces.
Dear owners
In order to fit their budget, the ecologists intend to nibble away at existing land and buildings. Discussions with owners with a view to buy-back procedures began almost two years ago. In theory, these procedures could go as far as expropriation..
“I was told on the phone: “Your house is on the bus route and will have to be knocked down”. Phone calls like this one, received by Sylvie during the winter of 2023, have been made by dozens of Sytral’s relationship managers. The investigating commissioner’s report speaks of 250 letters sent to property owners, private individuals or shopkeepers, often established for decades.
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A total of 130 people are affected, and as some properties are blocks of flats, the figure rises quickly. So does the bill. More than 16% of the 120 million euros invested would be devoted to expropriation costs. The survey prior to the DUP (preliminary authorization) revealed a development cost of 17.6 million euros per kilometer. “which appears to be well above the cost range of between 5 and 10 million”..
“It’s huge, the project could have cost a lot less if it had been adapted.”attacks Sandrine Claudin, spokesperson for the association behind the appeal. Although the purchase price is the same as the landowner’s price, the owners can raise the stakes.
Frying on the line
Faced with these setbacks, the president of Sytral and the metropolis, Bruno Bernard (EELV), has already confirmed the postponement of the eastern part of the route until 2027. He attacked the mayor of Bron, Jérémie Bréaud (LR), who is opposed to the project (an unfavorable vow was voted last year by the municipal council). The ecologist accused this close associate of Laurent Wauquiez, initially in favor of a tramway, of fuelling the rebellion.
“When you have a commune that is not in support but in opposition, it doesn’t help to keep to the schedule”, he attacked. “He’s looking for a scapegoat instead of taking responsibility for his mistakes.”responds the regional councillor, who now claims to be in support of the project, even as he hears the discontent of his constituents.
A.S. / Le Figaro
In its appeal, the association attacks the lack of a park-and-ride facility at the terminus of the BHNS line at Sept Chemins. The investigating commissioner underlined this pitfall, all the more so as 601 parking spaces are to be eliminated along the line, limiting accessibility for people coming from the east of the metropolis. The route de Genas sees 20,000 vehicles pass by every day.
Another concern is the transfer of traffic and pollution to adjacent streets. Studies have been launched, but could not be completed in time for the DUP. Nevertheless, the favorable opinion highlights several positive factors, including the environmental benefits of the development in the long term, while Sytral Mobilités is counting on 27,000 daily passengers by 2030.
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In any case, Sytral has no intention of stopping there, and has already approved the extension of the nine-kilometer BRT line to Parilly, in Vénissieux, at a cost of between 70 and 90 million euros. In an area where the tracks are wide enough to avoid having to widen them. A new tramway line was announced last week between Vénissieux and Vaulx-en-Velin, via Bron.