The little queen monopolized the Grand Council of Vaud on Tuesday. After long discussions, the deputies agreed in the first debate to validate the bicycle strategy concocted by the Council of State.
Presented last November, this strategy aims for cycling to represent 10% of trips in the canton of Vaud in 2035, compared to 2.2% in 2015 (latest figures available). This will involve, among other things, the development of facilities reserved for cyclists, from 180 km currently to 500 km within fifteen years.
To launch this vast program, the Council of State submitted two initial credits to Parliament. The first, of 28.6 million francs, should be used to finance studies, promote cycling and create a cycling competence center within the State, with ten positions. The second credit, of 13.25 million, constitutes a subsidy to develop the cantonal cycle network.
Vaud delay
“This 2035 strategy is the missing link that our canton needs,” said socialist Jean Tschopp. He recalled the delay in Vaud with two-wheelers, taking the example of the canton of Bern where the bar of 10% of bicycle trips has already been reached. “Good for the planet and health”, cycling has “enormous” room for improvement in Vaud, he said.
Green Alice Genoud also hammered home the need to give “a boost” to cycling. This must take the form of financial and human amounts “in relation to the stakes”. She stressed the importance of deploying a “global strategy” for the whole of the canton, and not only by “realizations in fits and starts”, in order in particular to ensure the continuity of the cycle network.
“Land grabbing”
The enthusiasm of the left was not shared by several right-wing elected officials, especially in the ranks of the SVP. These deputies criticized the amount planned for the studies, the ten collaborators that the State wants to hire for the Cycling Skills Center and, above all, the replacement of crop rotation surfaces (the most productive agricultural land) by cycle paths.
“Too much is too much,” said UDC Jean-François Thuillard, judging the project “disproportionate”. Rapporteur of the majority of the commission, he indicated that 100 hectares of crop rotation (SDA) would be “eaten up” and that the financial compensation would not be satisfactory for the farmers. “It’s authorized theft,” he said.
The other opponents have also deplored “a land grab” or even “the excessive cost” of the planned studies. Others denounced an “injustice”, knowing that cyclists would not have to pay for the facilities provided for them. Many of them also pointed out that there was little point in developing a bicycle network in the countryside, where users are, according to them, few.
Some voices on the right, despite some reservations, followed the Council of State. This was particularly the case of the PLR Aurélien Clerc who defended the desire to “create more space” to allow cyclists to circulate in complete safety. According to the former professional runner, it is urgent that Vaud devote “large amounts over time” to catch up in terms of soft mobility.
Bike tax?
Speaking at the end of the debate, the State Councilor in charge of the file, Nuria Gorrite, responded to the various criticisms. In particular, it noted that the influence on the SDAs was necessary to ensure the safety of cyclists, without cutting back on the space allocated to cars or trucks. Their use remains, moreover, admissible in view of other uses, for example for roads or building constructions.
To reassure the deputies, the socialist minister also confided that the question of a “bicycle tax” would be examined so that cyclists might possibly contribute to the financing of infrastructures.
Ms. Gorrite once more insisted on the responsibility of the authorities to let the Vaudois choose their mode of travel. A choice that is not possible today, for lack of sufficiently safe infrastructure for cycling, according to her.
Denied in committee, the two credits submitted by the Council of State passed the ramp in front of the plenum thanks to the votes of the left, added to those from certain PLR and the Green Liberals. A second debate, which will take place before the autumn recess, has yet to take place.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats
