The project

Light rail for Greater Brest

A new public transportation network

Building the first light rail line in Brest Métropole Océane (BMO) provides the opportunity to create a new high-performance public transportation network, to rethink the city, enhance its attractiveness and free up public spaces. The East-West line will provide service to the main residential and business sectors of the town. It should be used by 45,000 travelers daily. That means that 27% of the population and 38% of jobs in the BMO conurbation will enjoy direct service less than 450 meters from the proposed alignment. The existing bus network will be restructured and improved, with the objective of increasing the ridership by 27%.

A sustainable development project

A social project 

Linking the neighborhoods of Brest Métropole Océane
The Tramway project creates a link between the metropolitan area's development projects: indeed, the East-West running line will provide service to the major slated developments of the greater BMO area, like the Plateau des Capucins on Brest's right bank, the Saint-Louis square shopping center and new amenities at Le Froutven, for instance…
The coming of the light rail system will catalyze revitalization in several quarters: Saint-Martin, Recouvrance, etc. It will also be a spectacular way to open up the Pontanézen neighborhood to the rest of the city.

A means of transportation based on solidarity
The light rail line is the opportunity to create a truly solidary public transport network: accessible with no step up or down, the low-floor trams are level with the platforms. Access ramps, wide corridors and well-laid out surroundings of the stations make access easier for people with restricted mobility, like pregnant women, the elderly, people with strollers, wheelchair users, and the hearing- and visually-impaired. Bicycles will be accepted in the tramway outside of peak traffic times, depending on the number of passengers in the network. Existing bus lines will run more often, enabling everyone to take advantage of the network.

An environmental project

Better regulated car traffic
The Tramway is a modern form of transportation, offering motorists an alternative to using the car: since it has right of way at all intersections and runs in a separate right-of-way lane (see definitions in the LexiTram lexicon), light rail is more faster and more efficient than taking your car (punctuality, no parking hassles, less expense). The electrically-powered Tramway does not produce any greenhouse gases, thus helping protect the environment by reducing urban pollution.
For information, the ADEME agency developed the eco-calculator to calculate the impact your choice of transportation for home-work commuting has on the climate.

An improved life setting
As well as its beneficial effect on air quality, a light rail system can also improve our living environment. Its implementation creates an opportunity to embellish the city with high-quality developments and facilities, creating pedestrian areas and bike lanes, changing the status of some public spaces and roads, creating works of art, etc.

An economic project

The economic effects of the Tramway
Brest métropole océane and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly created the Socioeconomic Observatory for the Tramway in order to study how the economic situation will evolve along the proposed alignment.
The Tramway is a factor that can make local shops and businesses more dynamic, as well as contributing to the overall development of the Brest's conurbation. Indeed, all the assessments carried out in cities which have chosen a light rail system show that commercial activity downtown experiences a sharp rise in the number of shoppers (reaching 30% in cities like Montpellier and Strasbourg). There are more pedestrians, the city becomes more attractive, new shops set up, and so on.
Throughout the project, the information produced by the observatory can be found at this url: http://www.adeupa-brest.com/observatoire-socio-economique-du.php.

Support for retailers during construction work
To provide support for shopkeepers and retail businesses during the construction period, a committee for mutually negotiated compensation will be created in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry: it will be a simple arrangement free of charge for all businesses, shopkeepers, craftsmen, company owners and members of the professions whose premises are located along the alignment and who request it.

Construction work with significant effects for the economy
Building and operating a light rail system is a true asset for economic development and employment in the area. The construction site and operation site for the Tramway will create strong demand for small and medium-sized companies in our region. Forecast estimates for the Brest worksite indicate that it should generate from 150 M€ to 180 M€ in local activity.
In Orleans, 160 enterprises were mobilized and 400 jobs were created each year for the civil engineering work related to the light rail line.  85 permanent jobs were created for its operation.