Aubagne (France) never stops innovating. In 2009, the Urban Community of the Pays d'Aubagne and Etoile (100,000 inhabitants) introduced totally free public transport on the entire network for all users, whether residents the urban community of Aubagne and beyond. Today, Aubagne even start building a streetcar line!
This is, to our knowledge, the first streetcar line in the world will be totally free for users!
The work of the future streetcar is expected to begin late 2011, early 2012. The first phase will be delivered end of 2013. Two other phases are coming in 2016 and 2019.
Total cost of this project? About 144 million euros for a line of 9 km with 19 stations (one every 500 meters); this is a very low price, the cost per kilometer is € 16 million, making the project the cheapest in France.The technical and financial decisions were approved by the french government, which granted the project a grant of € 13.76 million, as part of the "Grenelle de l’Environnement" and stating that the project "fully meets the challenges of sustainable mobility."
The project will be funded by the State, the Region, the Department and a 35-year loan to be repaid by the "transport tax" annualy paid by companies.
So it is a world first, Aubagne will probably the first streetcar in the world completely free!
Source: http://carfree.free.fr/index.php/2011/07/06/aubagne-aura-le-premier-tramway-au-monde-entierement-gratuit/
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