I knew that the arrival of the metro in Bagneux would be important for the town, but I hadn’t expected such enthusiasm, such emotion. It’s very touching: people walk up to me in the street to talk about the metro line 4 extension as an opportunity for them and their children to study, to find work. Although Bagneux may be only 3 kilometres from Paris, this extension really opens up the town. Bagneux is a working‑class town with a high proportion of social housing. Having their own metro station creates a sense of pride and fairness among residents.
They feel respected, and treated “like other people”. It means greater access to training and jobs, and provides a gateway to the world and culture.
Lucie-Aubrac station has already transformed the town in a very concrete way, with the creation of a new square that will also be home to the future station on metro line 15. The station itself is bright and aesthetically pleasing, with a mural by street artist C215. The square, with its beautiful public areas, is transforming the neighbourhood: the department is going to rebuild the nearby school and gymnasium, and social-housing landlords are renovating their housing stock. Furthermore, quality transport in the town means reduced travel time for Bagneux residents, a criterion that may encourage companies to set up in our town. In March 2022, we organised a metro party with the residents. This project has become their project. The work took a long time, of course, but thanks to site visits organised for local residents and schools as well as the very good partnership with RATP teams, residents became aware of the scale and technical challenges of the project. And everyone agrees that it was worth the wait!
