What if we put the car in the garage this summer? Haute Tarentaise Community of Communes (CCHT) displays an admitted ambition: to make travel across the territory easier without relying on the car, twelve months of the year.
«The ambition is to make the user journey easier and to find solutions to the individual car year-round.» Léa Bertrand, Mobility Project Manager at the CCHT.
Buses all year round to Tignes and Val d'Isère
This is the major new feature of the season. The S82 and S83 lines of Cars Région, which connect Bourg-Saint-Maurice à Tignes and Val d'Isère Passing through Séez and Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, now operate year-round, seven days a week.
«Before, they were only there for the tourist seasons. Now, it's all year round.» Léa Bertrand highlights. For this first year of experimentation, books of ten tickets (€30) and advantageous subscriptions are being offered.
An extra advantage for cyclists: «On the Tignes and Val d'Isère lines, you can take your bike for free in the summer.» This is supplemented by the C line between Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Séez, which is free and also runs all year round, as well as a summer bus link to La Thuile, on the Italian side.
Cycling, cycle paths and funded carpooling
The backbone of the two-wheeled transport device, the greenway connects Aime to Villaroger, passing through Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Séez, on a safe route separate from the road. Charging stations for electric bikes, repair stations, and washing facilities are spread throughout the communes, and bikes travel free on TER trains and coaches.
For those who want to cycle every day without making a purchase, several local organisations are offering long-term rentals, from Alpine Cycle Studio (ACS) to Decathlon, not forgetting Ptit Cargo, which provides cargo bike deliveries between Landry and Bonconseil. For shared journeys, carpooling via the BlaBlaCar Daily app is free for passengers and compensated for drivers thanks to local authority funding.
Mobility designed for everyone
Beyond tourists, the approach is resolutely local and inclusive. The community is opening its school bus routes to local workers, offering an on-demand social transport service for the over-65s and people with disabilities, and providing Joëlettes and tandem bicycles free of charge to make the mountains accessible to as many people as possible.
«Making transport accessible for everyone» Léa Bertrand insists, summarising philosophy in one formula. «Working with all local stakeholders – residents, young people, the elderly, socio-professionals – to find concrete solutions.» With the underlying aim of reducing traffic congestion in the valley and lessening the carbon footprint of travel.