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The Gayeulles roundabout has undergone a major redevelopment giving priority to cyclists.

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Ranges of action

  • A reputedly dangerous roundabout has been completely redesigned in Rennes to secure the path for cyclists.

  • The method is inspired by developments made in the Netherlands, a benchmark country in the field.

  • Cyclists are cut off from traffic and keep the right of way over motorists.

It is an ambitious project which will have to be explained.

An expensive development that will have to be adopted.

In Rennes, the huge Gayeulles roundabout has just been the subject of major works to secure the paths of bicycles.

A big step forward for the many cyclists who pass through the roundabout daily.

But also a big change for the 25,000 cars that use it every day.

Proposed by an association for the promotion of cycling in Rennes, the layout is directly inspired by the Dutch method, considered as a benchmark for cycling facilities.

Explanations.

Forget the narrow cycle lane that goes around the roundabout.

Sometimes respected, sometimes forgotten or even deliberately cut, this dangerous strip has disappeared from the Gayeulles roundabout.

Since Monday, cyclists have had the joy of taking a dedicated lane, cut off from traffic, where they keep priority over motorists even when they cross the road.

“Before, motorists arrived quickly because they had two lanes.

Today, they have only one lane and their exit is at a right angle so the speed is reduced.

It's quite surprising because we are not used to it, but it is very reassuring ”, explains Florian Le Villain, vice-president of the association Rays d'Action.

It offers the advantage of limiting vehicle blind spots.

Many middle and high school students borrow it

It is his collective that asked the city of Rennes to try to absorb what was considered a big black spot in the safety of cyclists in the Breton capital.

This arrangement, inspired by the Netherlands, is still very little known in France, where there are only four or five.

It would undoubtedly be the first of its kind in Brittany.

“It is one of the new recommendations from Cerema (center for studies and expertise on risks, the environment, mobility and development).

It requires a fairly wide roadway so it is not possible everywhere, ”warns Florian Le Villain.

This new transitional arrangement is the subject of an experiment and its effectiveness will have to be evaluated, warns the city which hopes "to facilitate the coexistence of modes of transport while making bicycle journeys safer, in particular for high school and college students attending establishments on the boulevard. of Vitré ”.

The final development is not planned before 2025. We will have time to get used to it by then.

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