By Laurent REBOURS
Published on 20 Mar 21 at 20:32
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The mayor of Chartres (Eure-et-Loir) launched his channel on social networks last week, Chartres C’Vous. His first meeting with his constituents took place this Saturday 20 March 2021 with the theme ” the peaceful city« .
Calmed traffic that has perhaps become unsuited to urban development but not really in the minds of motorized road users.
The proof by thirty
We have known for a long time that debates downtown – motorists – speed tend to quickly go up in towers. Paris being a champion to focus muscular exchanges.
However, the debate on lowering the speed to 30 km / h in the city center is not new. For years it has been in the boxes of all the champions of road safety and urban centers gradually returned to non-motorized travel.
He was even part of the Ecological Defense Council of July 2020 chaired by Emmanuel Macron.
So the mayor, Jean-Pierre Gorges, wanted to be an educator to explain this desire to pass the city center at 30 km / h with, as a future step, to do disappear all fires. A distinction between ” track 30 “As are the penetrators allowing to lower the speed and” zone 30 »Where the traffic lights are no longer necessary.
“A little brutal”
–“People found this passage a bit brutal” admits Jean-Pierre Gorges.
In support of his approach, he highlights the safety aspect of lowering 20 km / h:
In terms of pollution, this remains to be demonstrated. On the other hand, a shock at 50 km / h, it is not the same result.
The disappearance of fires is the key in his eyes. “Traffic is more efficient at 30 km / h without lights than at 50 km / h with. The motorist will tend to accelerate to catch the green and then find himself again in slowdowns ”.
Thick sidewalks for pedestrians and cycles
–To free up the lane used by vehicles, further ease travel by ensuring that cycles and cars do not or little side by side, ” thick sidewalks Will be created:
We are going to generalize the one-way streets in order to have as many cars as possible traveling in the same direction, the bus lanes and then create thick sidewalks for pedestrians as well as bicycles or people with reduced mobility. They will be 3.5 to 13.5 meters wide.
Ultimately, the mayor ensures that the 70 ha of the protected area will be entirely pedestrianized.
Why not bonus radars?
And for further reasoning, why not imagine as in the town of Helmond in the Netherlands, not verbalizing radars but bonus radars rewarding good motorists.
A speed camera with which the neighborhood earns money at the right speed: the Dijksestraat in Helmond is the first in Brabant. The aim, of course, is for people to adjust their behavior, the municipality will soon pay the bonus. Money goes to the local playing field. #ob And this is how it works: pic.twitter.com/UvtJ9dfWJ8
– Jacqueline Hermans (@HermansJacq) May 11, 2018
At the key, as evoked The Parisian, € 0.10 for speed compliance with a maximum of € 0.50 per motorist per day. Enough to grow a kitty financing local projects.
Opponents with their feet on the ground
Jean-Pierre Gorges’ intervention on this hot subject triggered comments of satisfaction and also some scathing comments, but we could have imagined a more substantial barrage as this subject is quickly controversial.
The already withdrawal of some traffic lights provokes reactions in particular in an exit zone of garages “accident zone, irresponsible modifications”.
For another Chartrain it is the peripheral circulation who exasperates him: “Anyone who manages to drive 30 around Chartres, I take my hat off to him. I can tell you that making Place Drouaise in the center of Lèves, the road is long at this speed. “
A surfer leans on accessibility in the city center : “To be honest, it becomes unbearable to drive around Chartres with the forbidden directions which impose endless detours and these 30 km … .. We desert Chartres because it is a source of stress, nervousness plus 1 hour to go to work while ‘Before, we could do it in 20 minutes, it’s no longer possible… People are doing everything to avoid Chartres… So more life in the center and above all more desire. We are looking for simplicity and all these changes cause anger and nervousness among drivers one day I would not be surprised to see people hit each other with this imposed stress. “
The mayor has promised, “we’ll talk about it in a year.”
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