Transportation Transformation

The tower's transportation needs reshape the neighborhood:

The RER C: This commuter line's Champ de Mars stop handles millions yearly. During events, human rivers flow from trains to tower. Local residents avoid peak hours or develop alternative routes.

Vélib' Stations: Bike-share stations near the tower empty and fill with tidal regularity. The city triples capacity here, creating impromptu cycling infrastructure that residents use after tourists depart.

River Transport: The Seine becomes highway and viewing platform. Bateaux-Mouches commentary in multiple languages drifts into riverside apartments. Some residents time dinners to wave at passing boats; others close windows against the noise.

Future Metro: The Grand Paris Express will add new stations, promising better access but threatening more crowds. Community meetings debate benefits versus disruption—democracy in action, with the tower as silent witness.