“Conflicts can only get worse”: how to ease tensions between pedestrians and cyclists in Montpellier ?

Piétons et cyclistes, c'est souvent l'enfer entre eux. Midi Libre – GIACOMO ITALIANO

Piétons et cyclistes, c’est l’enfer quand il s’agit de partager l’espace public. Pour faire évoluer la situation, Vélocité Montpellier organise une conférence-débat, vendredi 13 septembre, sur ce sujet, à 19 h, à la Gazette Café.

Between those who walk and those who cycle in Montpellier, as elsewhere in France, we could continue the musical metaphor, “I love you, me neither”. Fortunately, conflicts of use between the two do not result in fatal accidents, unlike those involving vehicles.

On the other hand, incivility and verbal violence are legion, sometimes ending up in the news section. Like this pedestrian, last April, who was walking on a cycle path in Montpellier and who had insulted a cyclist, before threatening her with a knife, because the latter had allowed herself to use her bell to alert her of her presence.

But, overall, “we are more concerned with discomfort, embarrassment and fears than with fatal accidents”, temporizes Hélène Quillaud of the Vélocité Montpellier association.

Acting together and on all levers

"As we have more and more people walking and others cycling, conflicts can only increase, and even persist“, comments Anne Faure of the Rue de l'avenir association. She will speak at the conference-debate organized by the Vélocité Montpellier association, as part of Mobility Week, on the theme “Pedestrian – cyclist conflicts: why and what solutions ?”. Olivier Schneider of the FUB (French Federation of Bicycle Users) and Anne de Beaumont of Place aux Pedestrians will be at his side.

In addition to these times of discussion to make a diagnosis and suggest avenues, these associations are already working together to promote more peaceful cohabitation between the different users of public space. This is what they did, for example, in Montpellier, in the Boutonnet and Beaux-Arts districts, or in the city centre between Rue Foch and Place de la Comédie, by identifying conflict zones, recalling the Highway Code and making concrete proposals.

City planning, an aggravating factor ?

The same fight is being waged around the two other issues that make cohabitation equally difficult between pedestrians and cyclists: the place of cars and city planning. "Between sidewalks that are too narrow, bumpy, cluttered with terraces, and insufficient cycle paths, shared spaces do not work well. Pedestrian, motorist and cyclist flows must be separated. This is the absolute priority, and it is unavoidable“, warns Hélène Quillaud.

In a metropolis that aims to increase bicycle travel by 15% by 2032, compared to 3% in 2019, there is no room for error in terms of planning. However, the Mobility Plan presents, according to them, inconsistencies.

And Hélène Quillaud cites the example of the sharing zone provided for in this plan between pedestrians and cyclists at Place Saint-Denis, similar to what is already practiced at Place de la Comédie. Except that the configuration is not the same, “it does not make sense at all, because we will have bicycles arriving at full speed from the cycle ring and this will create accidents“. Which will only add conflict to the existing conflict.

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