Everyone has their own project. Engaged in a fratricidal struggle for the mayor of Paris, Benjamin Griveaux, official candidate of LREM, and Cédric Villani, entered into dissidence, are now also confronting each other on the railway field, with different projects for the future of two large stations Parisian.
In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, Benjamin Griveaux unveiled one of his major projects for the city if he is elected next March: to move the Gare de l'Est to the gates of the capital or to the suburbs, for example porte de la Villette, freeing up 30 ha to create a "Parisian Central Park".
Cédric Villani wants to move traffic from Gare du Nord to Saint-Denis
A few hours before the publication of the interview, it was Cédric Villani who had drawn his own proposal: to move the traffic of Eurostar and Thalys, which serve London and Brussels in particular, from the Gare du Nord to Saint-Denis.
Two proposals dismissed by Anne Hidalgo, candidate for a second term. “They play a very important role in the economy of our city. We absolutely have to keep them, ”insisted the current mayor of Paris on Europe 1 / Les Echos / Cnews. His first deputy, Emmanuel Grégoire, pointed out to him "the absurdity" of wanting to remove the Gare de l'Est: "This choice would have the consequence of reducing the attractiveness of the train in favor of the car and the plane".
Only a few hundred meters apart in the northeast of Paris, the two stations are in any case becoming a new subject of contention between the two walkers who have so far failed to get along. Cédric Villani, who must also be received "Sunday or Monday" by Emmanuel Macron, is shocked to say that he will go "to the end".
But Benjamin Griveaux, who invites Cédric Villani to join "his dynamics", wants to be the main alternative to the current mayor of Paris, even if he is for the moment behind in the polls. "If she had this 30 ha, Anne Hidalgo would no doubt concrete. I will not build: I will plant a forest there, ”says Benjamin Griveaux, denouncing the“ B&B and bitumen and concrete policy ”of the outgoing PS mayor.
Swimming pools on the left bank quays
Among the other proposals in his urban planning and ecology program, Benjamin Griveaux wants to "replace the bitumen with grass" on the bank tracks, facilitate access to Île aux Cygnes, by connecting the “Quays of the left bank by a vast space of greenery and activities, with swimming pools. For this, river traffic will be closed, on the 15th arrondissement side, between the Grenelle and Bir-Hakeim bridges ”, for a total cost estimated at“ around 70 million euros ”.
Assistant to Anne Hidalgo in charge of Town Planning, Jean-Louis Missika counts the points between the Griveaux or Villani proposals. And is severe with the former government spokesperson: “The Gare de l'Est project had been proposed at the time of the Grand Paris workshop launched under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy. This proposal is over ten years old, ”he says.
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"The idea that the Eurostar has a terminal at Pleyel is interesting, and we have already said it," he adds, referring to Cédric Villani's proposal. But in both cases, it cannot be the mayor of Paris who makes a decision like that of moving a station. This is the responsibility of the SNCF and the Ministry of Transport. "
The mayor movement “Paris en commun” also took the opportunity to highlight its project for these stations on Twitter: “More space for pedestrians and bikes as well as more green spaces on the forecourt of East and rue d'Alsace ”.
Rather than leaving Paris the North and East stations, our project for this district is:
➕ space for pedestrians & 🚴🏻
➕ intermodality between public transport 🚍
➕ green spaces on the forecourt of the Gare de l'Est & rue d'Alsace 🌿
With @ACordebard! # Paris10 pic.twitter.com/mHMopsNfPZ
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