Gare du Nord – Gare de l'Est link – Passenger meetings: what are the results?

As part of the consultation on the improvement of the Gare du Nord – Gare de l'Est link, one of the methods of information and collection of opinions chosen by the STIF and its funding partners was to go and meet passengers. They organised four field meetings to inform and discuss the project with as many users as possible. What were the results of these meetings?

Passenger meeting of 7 March 2017: the Château-Landon tunnel

The STIF and its partners went to meet public transport users in front of the entrance to the Château-Landon tunnel and the metro station line 7 of the same name, on March 7, 2017 between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Most of the people we met took the time to talk, even for a few minutes, with the project team. On this occasion, about fifty leaflets were distributed and 38 people wished to leave a written contribution. The people we met welcomed the project, including those who do not correspond regularly. A few respondents expressed impatience for this project, which they have been hearing about for a long time, to come to fruition. The objectives of improving the liaison appeared obvious to most participants. Among the main advantages of the project, passengers considered that the extension of the tunnel will lead to an undeniable saving of time for all those who make the connection. The vertical connections were very much appreciated to allow people with reduced mobility to make connections without having to take the metro. Residents and travellers who make the connection on foot would welcome the improvement of the surface connection: more pleasant, more practical. Some respondents spontaneously mentioned the potential pedestrianisation of the rue d'Alsace.

Travellers' meeting on 9 March 2017: the monumental staircase of the rue d'Alsace

The STIF and its partners went to meet public transport users at the monumental staircase of the rue d'Alsace, on March 9, 2017 between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Here again, many of the people we met took the time to discuss with the project team. About 200 leaflets were distributed and 40 people wished to leave a written contribution. The people we met welcomed the project, in particular the residents and shopkeepers of the rue d'Alsace. Users of the lines of the Ile-de-France network and some users of the main SNCF lines gave their opinion. The project is especially opportune for the improvement of the surface pedestrian link between the two stations and for the time savings it will allow for those who make the connection. Among the main assets of the project, the passengers considered that the redevelopment of the rue d'Alsace will make it possible to provide solutions to the many nuisances it shelters (olfactory, noise, feeling of insecurity) and to restore the image of the district which is a "showcase" of Paris for tourists arriving from the two stations. The vertical connections were very much appreciated insofar as they would provide alternative solutions to the monumental staircase, which is not very practical for people with reduced mobility. The extension of the Château-Landon tunnel has also been mentioned by users who believe that it will save them time when making the connection between the two stations and that it will be more pleasant in rainy weather in particular.

Passenger meeting of 14 March 2017: Transiliens zone of the Gare de l'Est

The STIF and its partners went to meet public transport users in front of the Transilien zone at the Gare de l'Est, on March 14, 2017 between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Most of the people we met were in a hurry to catch their train. About 200 leaflets were distributed and 25 people wished to leave a written contribution. The people we met welcomed the project, which was considered coherent and well thought out. Most of the travellers we met transfer by metro, for convenience, to save time or for fear of getting lost between the two stations. According to them, the project to improve the surface link is necessary, especially in terms of signage, which many have considered insufficient in the sector. Vertical connections are very much appreciated and even considered necessary if we really want to improve the connection between the two stations for all types of passengers. The extension of the Château-Landon tunnel is welcomed for the time it will save passengers on Transilien trains departing from and arriving at the Gare de l'Est in connection with the Gare du Nord.

Passenger meeting on 21 March 2017: the glass roof at the Gare du Nord

The STIF and its partners went to meet public transport users under the glass roof of the Gare du Nord, on March 21, 2017 between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. About 300 leaflets were distributed and 33 people wished to leave a written contribution. The people we met welcomed the project. Most of them regularly make connections between the two stations, often by metro, and would welcome the improvement of the surface link, which is not very attractive, and the extension of the underground link, which is little known. The implementation of vertical links was very much appreciated as it was necessary to allow people with reduced mobility to make connections more easily than at present. However, a few points of attention were raised. Several travellers we met explained that they would probably continue to take the metro, especially in winter, to make the connection. The project will also have to ensure that additional traffic jams form at the La Fayette-Dunkerque-Faubourg Saint-Denis intersection.

All the reports are available here!