Revolution of Mobilities

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Sustainability

How to change people’s daily lives.

“Our eyes are on Strasbourg, a European city, which is embarking on its mobility revolution. A cross-border example, a lever for its accessibility to all of Europe!”

Karima Delli, President of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament

Strasbourg City Council

France

Local policy

POLICY OBJECTIVE

Air quality, public health, right to mobility, climate challenge and purchasing power of the most vulnerable…it is around these issues that the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg area has embarked on its mobility revolution.

CONTEXT

The Strasbourg Eurometropolis comprises 33 municipalities, 339.85 km² and, according to figures from 2018, a total population of 505,916. With 375,000 daily trips on average, it is a metropolis that extends far beyond its borders.

The Rhine and the port are central for economic activities in the Strasbourg Eurometropolis. Today, with the ULS company, goods to be delivered are brought together in a warehouse in the port of Strasbourg, shipped by barge to a pier in the heart of the city, then picked up by cargo bikes and sent to the end customer. It is estimated that at least 20,000 tonnes of cargo will be transported per year

POLICY DESCRIPTION

The five axes around the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg’s mobility revolution are:

Development of public transport with three new tram lines, three highspeed bus lines (BHNS), increased frequency and extended timetables.
Right to mobility for all: free transport for under-18s and solidarity pricing according to households’ capacity to contribute.
Towards territorial equity and urban equality for all territories: Réseau Express Metropolitain provides on-demand transport for smaller municipalities or villages. It is as tool for a better life and employment that reaches municipalities and areas located within a 30-40 kilometre radius, serving all social housing districts.
Promotion of public health and air quality by developing alternative transportation modalities other than the car, decarbonising engines and ensuring peaceful public spaces that encourage walking and residents’ quality of life. More space for residents, less space for cars.
A bicycle plan, with a budget of €100 million, for a quality and continuous safe bicycle network allowing as many people as possible to use bicycles in their day-to-day life.

The ultimate objective is to reduce people’s reliance on individual cars within the living area and make public transport an even more reliable, carbon-free and efficient form of mobility.

KEY ASPECTS

The Strasbourg Eurometropolis is introducing an unprecedented programme to develop the public transport offer (trains, express coaches, urban transport network, soft mobility) by extending its urban public transport network and deploying it in collaboration with the Grand Est Region. Called “REM” (European Metropolitan Express Network), this offer of integrated mobilty is a pioneering experience in France outside the Paris area.

11 December 2022 marked the start of phase one in developing the rail service of the Metropolitan Express Network, which will significantly enhance the rail service on affected lines. Subsequent plans include extending this transport network to Germany.

The project allows:

Greater and continuous frequency throughout the day, at a rate of every half hour on the Strasbourg peri-urban service.
Expanded service schedules, extended particularly in the evening: lines operative between 5.00am and 10.00pm.
Increased frequencies on weekends and particularly on Saturdays to deliver an offer similar to that of a weekday.

RESULTS

Since 1 September 2021, Eurometropolitans under the age of 18 no longer pay for public transport.
10,000: number of bicycles counted each day on a major cycle route linking the city centre to the southern districts.
600 km: current length of the network of cycle facilities in the
Eurometropolis of Strasbourg.
27 minutes: journey time of the barge that transports freight containers from the port warehouse to the landing stage, located a stone’s throw from Strasbourg Cathedral.

Policy's Website

Marina

Lafay

Councillor in charge of time policies

Marina.LAFAY@strasbourg.eu

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