The city of Grenoble, situated in a valley between three mountain chains, is at crossroads and often suffers from traffic jams on main roads that pass at a stones’ throw from the centre. To resolve the problem, the local regional and regional council have been planning a by-pass for some thirty years.
For many citizens, including the local Greens represented in the city council opposition, that rocade is no solution but adds to the problem. The 600 - 1000 million euros the plan would cost the community, would sap the budget for improving tramway and regional transport, measures that would dissolve those traffic jams far more effectively and are much more in tune with the trends of today.
‘The regional autority acts as if it is living 20 or 30 year ago’, says green councillor Olivier Bertrand.
