After Bordeaux last October, the European Club of Intermodal Regions and Cities set a course for Lyon for its eighth study visit on 12 and 13 March.
Anew era dawned in Lyon on 1 January this year with an overhaul of the city’s organisational structure, the 59 communes of the Département of the Rhône fusing with the Urban Community to form the Metropolis of Lyon. The name change is by no means symbolic either, and the expectation is that, with fewer stakeholders involved, the new authority will find decision-making on public policy issues a smoother process.
Should that prove to be the case, a greater harmonisation of public transport policy ought to become possible in the next few months, which in turn ought to facilitate intermodality.
The increased scope for sustainable mobility attracted the attention of the European Club of Intermodal Regions and Cities, who organised a study visit to Lyon on 12 and 13 March. The objective was to show more than 20 participants (primarily representatives from French and Belgian local authorities) the workings of this new administrative structure – which is unique in France – as well as its advantages and the steps that still need to be taken to achieve an optimal level of functioning.
The visit also provided an opportunity to examine intermodality initiatives that have already been implemented by Sytral (the local transport authority) and other mobility organisations in Lyon – and which the new Metropolis can draw upon or will perhaps need to improve.
Lastly, the trip offered a chance to find out more about plans for various short, medium and long-term projects, such as renovations to the Lyon Part-Dieu railway station and line extensions on the local transport network.
The European Club of Intermodal Regions and Cities was created by Intermodes, an annual convention dedicated to intermodality. The Club organises study visits to European cities which set an example in the realm of innovative mobility schemes.