As part of European Mobility Week, the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and the Régie Ligne d’Azur have designed routes and playful communication to encourage their travelers to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
If the tramway exists in Nice, it is certainly to facilitate movement for pedestrians. However, in terms of physical health, its perception is not very optimistic. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends everyone to walk 10,000 steps daily to fight against sedentariness, which is the cause of numerous infections.
Presentation of the routes
The Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and the Régie Ligne d’Azur wish to support users and travelers in taking up this challenge—a challenge that is beneficial to health. Additionally, the Jean Médecin, Garibaldi, and Alsace Lorraine stations will take on the appearance of a personal trainer. This project spans the entire Nice territory.
Gathered at the Garibaldi Line 2 tram station, Philippe Pradal, president of the Régie Ligne d’Azur, conducted a site visit. This is where the challenge begins.
The underground station at Place Garibaldi has been decorated with messages written on the steps and pavers of the stop. “Let’s go for the 1st level!”, “Breathe, exhale, walk!”, motivational words aimed at those who usually take the escalator instead of the stairs, which can increase the daily inactivity rate.
A beneficial and voluntary challenge
The goal is not to encourage people to engage in intensive sports but to motivate them to walk, showing that the few additional steps taken during the day can only be beneficial, according to Philippe Pradal.
“To meet the WHO recommendation of 30 minutes of physical exercise each day, we wanted to encourage the people of Nice, with a bit of humor, to realize what good can be done for one’s health by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.”
The president of the agency concludes on an important note. By getting into the habit of walking, these small daily habits bring substantial individual and collective benefits.
