Eigentlich gehört's ja in die "Absurden Entdeckungen" - nach meinem Video-Vortrag vor 500 RATP-Mitarbeitern (
https://youtu.be/byG3Y9WMi1s) hat man mich nach ein paar Ratschlägen für den Betrieb gefragt. Hätte mir das wer vor einigen Jahren erzählt, hätte ich ihn ausgelacht. However, vielleicht interessiert euch das Interview, das leider nur im RATP-Intranet (dort auf französisch) abrufbar ist.
1. Thanks a lot for your homage to the French trams. What are the main directions to follow to concretely improve our networks?I can not say too much concerning the improvement of the recent network, as it would be necessary to ride it on a daily base. Maybe it would be a good idea to synchronise the timetables at important interchange connections, if the recent intervals allow this - especially in the evening, when waiting time is long. But as a visitor from abroad, I’m not using it enough for a valid answer.
For the future, I personally would love to see the replacement of saturated bus lines in the heart of Paris - not only for traffic reasons, but also as a part of changing/shaping the city for a greener future. I see the tram as an integral part for the future of the cities, where car traffic will have lost its dominance - beside of trucks for crafstmen or emergency services, there should be no need to use a car, especially within the "15-minutes-city". As a first step, prolongations of existing lines see to be charming: T3 from Porte de Vincennes to Nation (the current layout makes it difficult to decide which of the two branches), or T9 from Porte de Choisy to Place d'Italie.
2. In your opinion, until which limit the homogenisation of our lines should go?At least it would be good to come to a decision for a future standard; and it might make sense to forsee a 2,65 body width when (re)building recent lines (for instance, this was done in Vienna's U6 Metro, which was converted from "Stadtbahn" - all new tunnels and other constructions were built for the wider body of the future metro cars, so it was relatively easy to change from (apx.) 2,20 to 2,65. For a while the two types did run together, with special boards bridging the gaps). What’s about machines like wheel lathes – it would be useful to concentrate such expensive machines at one place, and would be good when the trams could reach it without expensive maneuvres?
3. You have seen the rise of the BRT (Anm.: Bus Rapid Transit) solutions as alternatives to trams. In your opinion, can they offer similar urban design opportunities?I think, the main attraction for residents ist the lawn track. It's the grass in the streets, which changes the image completely in comparisation to before; one can design the bus stop shelters as fancy as possible and plant some trees, but this will never come close to the impression of a new park in the middle of a former grey street. Moreover, in our cities which suffer from the climate change, the grass band has a cooling effect when watered properly.
4. In many cities, qualitative urbanism and urban design refer to local administrations. In the Ile-de-France region which type of lobbying the RATP should do to convince its authority?As a stranger, I cannot answer this satisfactorily, but I think it is clear that the RATP is a major player when it comes to rebuild the city for the future. Public transport is an indispensable component in the fight for a future-proof, liveable city; sooner or later the current development of Paris with the desire of removing the cars from the streets will expand to the suburbs.
5. One of these days can the Vienna tram network be tendered?I do not think so. The Vienna Transport Authority is connected very close with the social democratic party, which ruled the city more or less for the last 100 years. Having public utility and infrastructure management in the hands of the city government was always a key philosophy of the SP; especially in Vienna, where the city not only owns 250.000 flats for social housing, but also lots of companies (even the pompes funèbres service was a city monopole for long time). So they will do everything to avoid a tender; Vienna also managed until today that the trams and metros were built only by Siemens or Bombardier, both residing in Vienna, even with the obligation to make Europe-wide tenders for new cars.
6. Can the French tram model be replicated abroad? What would be the conditions?Concerning the idea, that a new tramway system is not only laying some tracks, but also bringing greenery and good design, I have the impression that some german cities (i.e. Munich) are already influenced a little bit. The holistic approach depends on the administrative structures; in Vienna, it unfortunaley would be unthinkable, because every magistrate's department has their own small task area, and the communication between them is sometimes not the best. And if architects are hired for designing a street, they always have difficulties fighting agaist the persistence of these structures.
7. Regarding your observations on the French networks, do you have some improvement suggestions to recommend French tram network operators?The suggestions are valid for every network operator, even for every company: Learn from others and be extremely client-centred. There is no shame in learning from experienced competitors, and it is equally important for traditional businesses to understand new developments and needs. See the service from the client's eyes, use it by yourself, and ask lots of "everyday people" for their ideas. Moreover, personal information can be surprising successful: In Vienna, employees of the transport authority visited lots of people in a new urban development area along a new tram line and made personal timetables and route suggestions. So, just be as close to the client as possible.
Concerning the daily service under difficult circumstances, it could be useful to take a look at how pragmatic old operators are dealing with disruptions (for instance, I do not understand why tram stops along T1 are closed for refurbishment - in Vienna, there would be a replacement stop nearby.)
