2023-12-26 12:43:29
Funeral music, candles, coffins and meditation… Thursday, December 21, around forty cyclists symbolically gathered in front of the entrance to Orléans town hall to denounce the insufficiency of cycle paths in the city and symbolically bury the announced cycling plan in 2019. This program “will join in the family vault its big brother Plan Vélo 1997 who also died in similar circumstances”, deplore the cyclists in their “death announcement”.
Four years ago, the metropolis of Orléans committed to doubling bicycle use in ten years. The objective was to achieve 10% of trips made by bicycle by 2028, as part of a plan costing 53 million euros. But for associations, progress is much too slow. “We were promised an ambitious program but when we take stock we see that it is not moving forward. At this rate, we will be at 5% completion at the end of the mandate,” laments Yann Pierens, of the DAMMO association.
For Nicolas Guilmain, of the Vélorution association, cycling continues to take second place in the minds of elected officials. “We are progressing at the pace of street requalification, and we are giving priority to parking. What we want is real political will! » Mayor Serge Grouard is surprised by this revolt. “We received them this week, we reached out to them. They sent us proposals and we play the game,” assures the elected official. In response, the cycling collectives say they are nevertheless ready to continue the dialogue, hoping that the mayors of the agglomeration will “change the software” and allow “a rebirth” of the cycling plan.
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