Everyone still has in mind the last important stages of the 5A3F site in Saint-Louis: the enlargement of the SNCF bridge, the installation of the first elements of the cyclist pedestrian gateway … A project of several tens of millions of euros. Of which around twenty paid by the Swiss Confederation, via the Basel Agglomeration Program (AP). This is the concretization, in the landscape, of the previous generations of the APs. And this is just an example, because there are many others!
The fifth generation en route
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Let’s go to last. Thus, at the end of June, the Trinational Region of Basel, via the Agglo Basel association, transmitted the fifth generation agglomeration project (AP5) to the Federal Office for Territorial Development (Are), in Bern.
This is “an important new step in regional planning and transport infrastructure”. This fifth agglomeration project, noted Marion Dammann, Landrätin du Landkreis de Lörrach, must also provide a “new strategic orientation for climate protection and adaptation to climate change”, a change approved by all parties that each have their own program in the matter.
From 2028
Investment amount to carry out projects between 2028 and 2032, those whose Swiss partners, but also German and Alsatians, believe that they are the most successful and are most likely to be made within these deadlines (this is horizon A): some 293 million CHF.
They are 96, distributed throughout the Trinational Agglomeration of Basel: eleven are dedicated “to the strengthening of intermodality”, especially along the RER TRINATIONAL OF Basel, still fragmentary and some of which are saturated; But there is also the continuation of the electrification of the bus fleet in Basel-Ville; About 100 million CHFs for 31 municipal projects which must improve travel safety; And as much to promote active mobility (pedestrian and cycles).
Strengthen intermodality, Alsatian side also
Jean-Marc Deichtmann, president of Saint-Louis Agglomeration (SLA), highlights the many projects dedicated to intermodal consolidation which “will make it possible to facilitate correspondence between the RER, the tram, the bus, the bicycle and the car, in particular at the Saint-Louis station with the development of the bus station in continuity of the P&R and the TRAM terminus”.
It also mentions the creation of two multimodal platforms at EuroAirport, which will make it possible to reorganize the flow of travelers and facilitate its service by public transport and soft mobility. And we can also mention the cycle paths, for the AP5, that between Kembs and Sierentz, for example … This does not necessarily seem spectacular, but, on the Alsatian side, these are considerable sums, and there is an important cumulative effect on the scale of the territory.
Small and medium -scale projects
This fifth generation of projects “mobilizes less funding” than the previous one; It is, in other words, less flashy. But we must not forget that there are many things that are still in progress. Thus, those of the AP4 are finalized at only 36 %; 53 % are still in progress (this is the case of 5A3F), and 11 % have been removed (for example due to a negative vote).
For Isaac Reber, Vice-President of Agglo Basel, there is no doubt that “the many small and medium-scale projects constitute the backbone of the global strategy. “And to specify that in his eyes,” this project is an essential step on the path of the 6th generation agglomeration project, which promises to be considerable “.
An exceptional tool
Investments for binational infrastructure, it exists everywhere. But the concept developed by Switzerland, at the federal level, with agglomeration projects, is exceptional. It brings together two things: a tool for reflection in common, upstream, between the different countries concerned in the same region, cross -border, in this case … then an action plan to find answers to the current and tomorrow issues.
