Intermodality with a French accent

Since the creation of the European Club of Intermodal Regions and Cities in 2011, a series of study visits have allowed participants to discover innovative intermodal strategies being implemented in towns across the continent. The Club has made trips, for example, to Pontevedra in Spain, London in the UK, Brussels in Belgium and the Norwegian capital Oslo, but never before had a French town been selected to showcase its mobility system. That all changed between 2 and 3 October when the Club held its seventh study visit in Bordeaux.

The capital of Gironde was not chosen by chance. On the contrary, it has succeeded in developing a fresh approach to intermodality in recent years, focusing its mobility efforts on a tram project and both organising and diversifying other transport modes around it. “Here, every mode has its place and every mode is in its proper place,” says Nathalie Leclerc, co-founder of the Club. Bordeaux’s strategy has also been developed in collaboration with the various public transport authorities in order to provide appropriate mobility solutions throughout the local area, and with a commitment to continuing improvements of the transport network. These initiatives have enabled public transit use to increase and have been well received by the city’s inhabitants. As Leclerc explains, “91 % of locals are satisfied by the public transport options on offer.”

Created by Intermodes, this convention dedicated to intermodality aims to “organise visits to places of exceptional interest in terms of intermodality in Europe or the wider world”, according to the convention’s presentation documents. Developed for actors in the transport sector, and more specifically to representatives of European towns and regions, these study visits also aim to encourage networking between participants.