Why a bus and not a tram?

The choice of a mode of transportation must meet the travel needs identified in a given territory, taking into account the entire transportation network of which it is a part. It must also meet the reliability and quality of service requirements expected with regard to these travel challenges, while constituting a balanced response from the point of view of environmental impacts, investment and operating costs.

For the Bus Bords de Marne, several elements justify the choice of buses:

• The biarticulated buses have 145 seats. With a frequency of 4 minutes during peak hours, they make it possible to meet the projected number of passengers on the line, estimated by Île-de-France Mobilités at 3,500 passengers during rush hour and around 33,000 passengers per day. These forecasts therefore do not justify the choice of a tramway.
• The buses can be inserted as close as possible to the stations, which makes it possible to optimise connections with heavy modes and other bus lines. In addition, the bus site implemented could benefit other bus lines on certain sections.
• The insertion of buses makes it possible to deal with the available rights-of-way and the constraints on the route in order to limit the negative impacts of the project. It is therefore planned, in consultation with the local authorities, a mixed lane circulation of the Bus Bords de Marne on several sections in order to give more space to other users of the public space. This type of insertion is more difficult to implement for a tramway, especially on roads where there is a lot of car traffic.
• The electrically powered biarticulated bus offers a quality level of comfort and accessibility. The project will be 100% accessible thanks to specific facilities and equipment (guide strips, sound announcements, access ramps, etc.). Running on electricity, it is also clean and quiet for passengers and local residents.