Lyon Metropolis. "Gentle Revolution," Limiting Traffic on the Presqu'île Explodes Bus Service

Inaugural journey this Saturday on the new C23 line which, starting Tuesday and no longer Monday (a strike day in the TCL), will run between Villeurbanne Flachet and the Cité Internationale via Cordeliers, but also Hôtel de Ville.

Enough to relieve the C3 line, which with 60,000 passengers per day, is saturated. The C23 will in fact follow part of the route of the C3 and the C13 between Cordeliers and Grandclément, on the Cours Lafayette and Tolstoï. "This will allow us to have a bus every 3'30 and even every 2' between Part-Dieu and Cordeliers," rejoices the president of the Lyon Metropolis, the ecologist Bruno Bernard , surrounded for the occasion by the mayor of Villeurbanne Cédric Van Styvaendel and Grégory Doucet, mayor of Lyon.

There are a lot of people in this C23 , an articulated electric bus designed in Switzerland, costing 900,000 euros each. The lack of air conditioning isn't the only reason for the overheating. The redesigned and reinforced transport offer to the Presqu'île accompanies an important step that was on the Ecologists' agenda when they ran for mayor of Lyon: that of limiting car traffic on the peninsula, going hand in hand with its pedestrianization.

Victory for pedestrians, victory for soft modes of transport. To achieve this, buses banned from Rue de la Ré have their new hub at Cordeliers, then take Rue Grenette, which has become a dedicated two-way lane for 500 meters. This is how the historic C13 and C18, for example, will cross the Saône twice towards Croix-Rousse before starting the slopes. But perhaps this will satisfy Vieux-Lyon, which will see more buses passing through?

"The Presqu'île is very well served and will be even better," announces Bruno Bernard along the route. He's thinking about the creation of line 59, which will connect Rillieux to Cordeliers. He's thinking about the Bellecour hub, which will also be reconfigured. "The square will no longer be crossed by buses. Those arriving from the east will stay in the east. Those arriving from the west will stay in the west. This will make the lines more reliable and improve journey times."

Sytral is investing 60 million euros in equipment on the peninsula and 1 million euros in additional operating costs each year.

Need approval? "Fifty years ago, there was 70% opposition to the A metro line. That's to say things are moving forward. Since then, there's been a lack of major developments in the Presqu'île. The limited traffic zone is the one, and it works," adds Bruno Bernard, citing the 10,000 access points already allocated to those with rights as proof.

"All the lights are green. This project will be a consensus. In a few years, no one will understand why it was so criticized," adds the Green president of Sytral.

"This June 21, 2025, is a milestone. It's a small revolution that will take place smoothly, even if the transition is already underway. The bollards are installed and we can stroll down Rue de la Ré," Grégory Doucet savored Saturday afternoon in the C23, which brought him closer to his peaceful Presqu'île.

And to mention, forgetting the opponents, that "the project was highly anticipated, because it is fundamental to the city's adaptation process. The rise in temperatures of 1.5°C is very bad news. The ZTL is in response, very good news."