[Tribune] Reorganizing mobility in seaside resorts: the example of Mers-les-Bains

The city of Mers-les-Bains is located in the Hauts-de-France, on the border with Normandy, known for the architecture of its protected area. It forms, with 27 other municipalities, the community of municipalities of “Sister Cities” which has the peculiarity of bringing together Picards and Normans.

A peculiarity of Mers-les-Bains, a seaside resort, was the free parking in the city. In the summer, you had to drive 20-30 minutes to expect to find a parking spot. The most impatient park on the sidewalks, preventing pedestrians from wandering, not to mention people with reduced mobility… There are many lack of civility in the car park. The mayor, Michel Delépine, and his municipal council then decided last year to pedestrianize the esplanade, almost a kilometer long, between June 15 and September 15. The rest of the year, the esplanade is again passable by car.

This conclusive experience motivated new mobility organization projects: the construction of a free car park with 550 spaces, the implementation of paid car parks in the city and the establishment of a free electric transport service, etc.

Construction of a free car park and implementation of paid car parks

Along the railway line from the Mers-Le Tréport station was a former SNCF wasteland, near the Depot district of Mers-les-Bains. The decision was made by the municipality to build a car park with 550 spaces, 5 minutes from the city center and less than 10 minutes on foot from the esplanade. The investment of almost 2 million euros was financed in two thirds by the municipality. The Hauts-de-France region contributed 633,600 euros.

Parking spaces have been reserved for people with reduced mobility, near a standard access ramp. Other places have been equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles. Finally, some luminous panels, placed on the main road towards the heart of the city and the esplanade, indicate the number of parking spaces still available. During the summer, the car park was almost never completely overcrowded, except for the week before August 15. This first year of operation shows that the capacity of the vehicles is sufficient in relation to the needs of vacationers.

In the city, around sixty parking meters are now installed. Parking is paid in the town from June 15 to September 15 and the rest of the year on weekends. Free access is maintained for Mersois, in primary and secondary residence, at the rate of two vehicles per dwelling. Therefore, it is the summer visitors who must pay for parking. The inhabitants are not penalized especially since a new service is established: an electric transport service.

A free electric bus to connect the car park with the promenade

From July 1 to August 31, 2022, a free electric shuttle runs in the city center of Mers-les-Bains, with 7 stops, between the Galiote free car park and the esplanade. It measures 6 meters and offers a capacity of 22 people, seated and standing. The shuttle is accessible to people with reduced mobility. The rotations will be regular, except 45 minutes of regulatory rest for the driver. The service operates from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 5:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. On busy days, more than 300 people, with strollers, groceries or beach items, use the more than 35 daily rotations.

The rental cost is 12,000 euros for the municipality, by renting a bus from the company Bluebus. You also have to add the costs of personnel, with driver per day, for a service that works 7 days a week.

However, according to the city council, paid parking should generate between 300,000 and 350,000 euros in the first year. These revenues, therefore, make it possible to finance the electric shuttle service and also the reimbursement of the investment in free parking.

In conclusion, Mers-les-Bains demonstrates that it is possible to transform the mobility of a coastal city, while allowing access to the city for all budgets, with free parking. The paid parking allows to finance this infrastructure and also a new service: an electric bus. This rearrangement of the car park makes it possible to curb the incivility linked to parking and the pollution caused by the rotation of motorists in (desperate) search for parking spaces.

So the shuttle is not yet autonomous, as I recommend in the evolution of mobility in seaside resorts, in my book The robomobile – A new right to inclusive and sustainable mobility. Does matters! All the objectives of peaceful, sustainable and supportive mobility have been achieved! An inspiring example for other coastal cities!

Franck Cazenave, mobility expert and author of the book La robomóvil – A new right to sustainable and inclusive mobility, Descartes & Cie