Le Figaro Bordeaux
The Capucins district, formerly nicknamed "
the belly of Bordeaux
", has just been the subject of a "
rebalancing
" on the part of the ecological municipality.
As in other districts of the Port of the Moon, the place of the car is now largely reduced.
But this change is rather well received by the inhabitants.
"
It's a place that was very mineral in the past, with four lanes in the middle dedicated to cars, two traffic lanes and two parking lanes
", recalls Olivier Cazaux, deputy mayor of the district.
The town hall wishing to "
rebalance the uses of the car in favor of soft transport
", the place des Capucins would be "
a strong symbol of what we want to do throughout the city
".
Namely to obtain “
a share of the car reduced to 50% maximum
”.
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Entirely redone, the Place des Capucins is now largely pedestrianized.
Tree pits have been enlarged to allow more room for roots and to plant vegetation.
Two additional trees will soon be installed and benches will be added to make this renovated esplanade a place of conviviality.
“We already have very positive feedback”
Responsible for a heat island during high temperatures, the part of the square formerly dedicated to parking has been made waterproof with the installation of curved cobblestones, explains Olivier Cazaux.
In the central part, sawn cobblestones make it possible to maintain a floor “
sufficiently resistant for heavy vehicles
”, such as fire trucks, which can park in the square if necessary, by lowering the bollard which blocks access.
Place des Capucins, before it was redone, with the old central lanes and the two parking aisles now removed.
DR / Google Street View screenshot
While this new place has just been inaugurated, "
we already have very positive feedback
", underlines Olivier Cazaux.
“
It is more frequented and the traffic is now done by the back alleys
”, specifies the elected official.
“
The restaurateurs were impacted during the work phase, we upset them a little, but now they realize that it is a plus for them
”, specifies the elected official.
Passers-by seem to be delighted with this new pedestrian area, a stone's throw from the emblematic Capuchin market.
“
It's more pleasant, that's for sure
,” testifies Nora, who crosses the square with her shopping cart.
“
But it will be more of a hassle for the cars during the market
,” she predicts.
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This Monday afternoon, however, the Capucins market is closed and the surroundings are therefore rather quiet.
The waiter of an Italian restaurant directly overlooking the square is also delighted with this pedestrianization, recalling that before "
it was noisy and not very
'
safe
'
, and anyway people walked in the middle, on market days it was a little nonsense
”.
Like him, the majority of passers-by already seem to appreciate this new layout.