Strasbourg EuroMetropole Chief Herman to EF on Transports at Franco-German borders: Unique Potential

*Strasbourg/MAMCS/Angelo Marcopolo/- Invited by the Press Club to Highlight "Transport" Policy perspectives, the President of the "EuroMetropole" of Strasbourg and its surroundings, (at the Borderline with Neighbouring Germany), Robert Hermann, an atypical Socialist exceptionaly allied with Center-Right opposition party of the Republicans and the "Greens", stressed his belief to the Potential of that area, in Reply to "Eurofora"s Questions on Franco-German aspects and Future Perspectives in Multi-modal Transport Strategy, from Rail links or New Cars up to Bicycles (including Electric ones)  :

- Leaving the Local "Details" to "the Mayor of Strasbourg", who "is Working on that", President Hermann prefered to Focus on the Big Picture, (as also the Spectacular Landscape around the City's "Modern Art Museum", exceptionaly chosen for this special Meeting with the Press, symbolicaly Inspired) :

 - "I think that we'd better have a look, at First, on the Territory, in order to Use its Potential", he advised.

 >>> - In fact,  "We are in a Territory which is absolutely Unique, throughout all Europe, even well Beyond !", EuroMetropole Strasbourg's Head ambitiously stressed from the outset.

- "It's the base of the Superior Rhine's basin, (between France, Germany and Switzerland); a Highway crossroads extending on both sides (of the  Franco-German Border); an Airport and River Port conglomerate (Strasbourg being "Privileged for Ship Transports"); several Railroad Stations;  an Exemplary dense Network of Bicycle Paths;  it's a River full of Mobility Facilities; it's also the European node of the Great Digital Loop, which reaches Strasbourg, linking ARTE with its Production Capacities, (Franco-German Radio-TV, cooperating also with Other EU Countries' Medias) and European Institutions, as EU Parliament's building, with a Capacity of Direct Transmission of Pictures and Sound, together wit hFrankfurt" (ECB's Headquarters, etc).

He could have added also a Potential Danube-Rhine and Rhone Rivers crossroads, which could Link at least 3 Seas around Europe : From the Black Sea up to the Northern Sea and the Mediterranean, as well as a High Speed Train crossroads, with a Potential from Paris to Berlin lines, and from Marseilles and/or Geneva to Brussels, etc, as "Eurofora"'s co-founder has often Highlighted, in various contacts with several Key Politicians, already as early as since 2002-2003, etc.

- Among "Strasbourg's Mobility" possibilities It's true that "we Must Continue to Strengthen its Airport", where, inter alia, "Air France is anouncing some developments". And, "Air France's Links with a (High Speed) Train, which will make, from July 2016 only 1 Hour and 48 Minutes for Paris, added to Connections to Frankfurt, Luxembourg and Brussels, is going to Change a lot the situation" for the better. "This System of AirFrance links with Trains, Cars, Trams/Subways, etc, "Works quite Well", he observed.

+ "2nd element : Concerning Railroads, We (Strasbourg's EuroMetropole) must look to valorise Offenburg's Railroad Station", at Nearby Germany, (which can be reached in abouit 10 Minutes or so) :  - "That Multi-Modal Rail Platform between Strasbourg and Offenburg is an incredible Richness", he stressed.

F.ex., "the Number of Trains in Direction of and from Offenburg is absolutely Remarkable !". Hermann noted. Therefore, "I think that we should Facilitate the Transition to Offenburg", which "offers a Wide Spectrum of possibilities for 'Passengers".

++  At the Same Time, "the World of "Low Cost" is in the process of being Transformed" nowadays. F.ex., "recent developments on Low Cost Busses for Short Distances", shows that "ameliorations are possible". Even "Busses at 1 or 10 € make Competition to SNCF" (the French National Railroads Company), f.ex. in Local/Regional lines).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFzJlP3u1Sc

Cristal =Electronic + Numeric, Self-service (and/or on Demand) Bus with Wifi, in Strasbourg (by the Region's Company Lohr)

=> In consequence, Today, "it has become Necessary to Review or Model" for Transports' strategy, in order to Find more Adequate Solutions", he pointed out.

- "Will, all that, Help to Solve the Problem which had been often evoked on the occasion of EU Parliament ?", he Wondered. At any case,  relevant "Discussions are going to Start soon".

- It's true that there is still a need for regular, fully loaded, Traditional Airlines, But, when you are just 6 Persons, you Can Take a Private Airplane for Paris, and you shall see that some Prices have become Considerably Lower Today", Hermann found.

F.ex. "for Businesses which need to have many of their Executives Moving around, Prices have considerably Changed. It has become possible for Businesses which have to Move for Contacts, Negotiations, etc.

=> Therefore, "something which was Unthinkable in the Past, for every one, might be, now often Considered". Because "there is a Movement in the process of being shaped".

+ Moreover, even for Bicycles, there is Room for Change", particularly after "recent Technological Innovations" :

- "In Strasbourg we are at 12% of Transports with Bicycles, while in Kopenhagen it's 30%", he observed, (While "Eurofora" recalls that, even at a Winter-Time full of heavy Snowfalls, which had Blocked many Airplanes all around Europe, nevertheless, Dutch People at Kopenhagen, during the December 2009 UNO's Global Summitr on Climate Change, were Fully Equiped by a Lot of Bicycles everywhere accross the Streets, and Often Using them - as "Eurofora" was also Obliged to do then, in order to Go Faster to See and Take a Photo of Kopenhagen's World Famous "Mermaid" Statute, in the Few Minutes availabvle Before leaving for our Airplane departure, because both Local Tram and Taxis appeared, in real Practice, much More Time Consuming and Uncertain : Comp. relevant NewsReports Published then from Denmark, f.ex. at : ...... ) "Therefore, we could use More Bicycles, in a Reasonable way, f.ex. in special Pathways".

 - "And the Recent arrival of Electric Bikes, which may roll with a Speed of up to 50 Km per Hour, while Ordinary Bicycles were limited to about 5 or 6 Km/Hour, eespecialy when they are used in well constructed Bike Tracks, Thus, in the Same Time that, in the Past, you could Only travel 2 or 3 Kms, Nowadays, you can travel 20 or 30 Kms", he observed.

=> "How will be Used, in real Practices, all these Various New Possibilities ? What Changes they  might Bring in the Ways People use Transports ?",  Hermann Wondered.

- "We have, Today, arrived in a situation in which we have to Examine if there are New Utilisations of Transports, Study possible Changes, and Consider what might be Better to Adapt or Modify  in the foreseable Future", Strasbourg EuroMetropole's President concluded on this point.

- F.ex., "in the Past, it wasn't even Thinkable that one might Fly by an Airplane with Only 10 €. However, recently, my Son travelled to Milan (Italy) with just 10 €, ... eveni f he had to Spend 10 Hours in order to do so", he added, among participants' Smiles.

But, when, sometimes, Poor People have to travel, f.ex. in Paris, in order to get a Visa, but they can't pay more than 10 €, and  don't have neither a Car, Nor any Other possibility of Transport, such a Low Cost Airplane or Bus makes a big Difference, he pointed out.

=> Therefore, we should Review Now the overall situation, with a Peaceful Mind, and withOut Excluding Any Means of Transport, in order to Find Solutrions which are More Favorable to the Economy", Robert Hermann Concluded, as a matter of Principle.

- At any case, one thing is for Sure : - "If there is No Mobility in an Area, then it's Not Attractive for the Economy".  A comparative Analysis of Data clearly reveals that, "we can Advance in Peace, Birth Rate, etc., but for Economic Growth, we Must take Efficient Measures before the Next 15 - 20 years, in order to Boost the Visibility of our Territory", Hermann urged.

One of those Measures would be to "Extend (Strasbourg's) the Dimension of our Territory, f.ex. by Aggregating Together with Neighbouring Villages, etc., (even if this might, eventualy, bring some Political Changes, f.ex. in the Majority of the Metropole's Council), he proposed.

But, the most Important is that it's no more enough Today to continue living on the Advantages that it has to Host the CoE, ECHR, EU Parliament, etc. In fact, what is most Needed is to get certain "New Economic outlets", the President of Strasbourg Metropole anounced in Conclusion, (but without yet revealing explicitly what exactly he might have in mind)...

(../..)

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