The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM) positions itself in favor of low-emission zones where the circulation of gasoline-powered vehicles would be restricted, proposes to relocate parking spaces located at the edge of the street and to improve the transportation offer in common.
These recommendations are among the priority actions that the Chamber identified in a study entitled Transition of downtown Montreal to a green economy.
Because of its density, its expertise, but also because business people want to mobilize for the transition, downtown Montreal constitutes “a privileged place to succeed in the green shift of our economy,” he said. indicated the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Thursday morning, in front of an assembly of business people.
Michel Leblanc presented a voluminous study which “identifies priority actions on four levers: modifying business practices, acting on mobility, reviewing certain ways of doing things in the real estate sector and adjusting our urban planning plans”.
Mobility and low emission zone
The CCMM study recalls that trips to the city center are made in 38% of cases by car, compared to 57% by public transport and 14% by active transport.
The document emphasizes that “this strong dependence on gasoline cars has several consequences”, and causes “substantial economic costs for society”, because “the choice to use gasoline cars is equivalent to $5.77 per dollar spent compared to $1.12 for public transit.”
“The fundamental signal that the business community wants to see is that we must continue to deploy public transportation. We want this to be the solution for the movement of workers and customers, we must increase the supply, that is the first rule,” indicated Mr. Leblanc.
“The second rule is that there are areas of the city center that will become areas for electric transportation,” he added in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Transportation is the main source of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Montreal, contributing to nearly 39% of total emissions.
In order to participate in the decarbonization of the city, but also so that the city center “remains a strategic place for working, studying and having fun”, the study recommends “low-emission arteries” to limit vehicle access gasoline-powered, as is the case in several large European cities.
The study recommends applying such a measure to the city center, the business center, the village and Old Montreal.
This type of measure is also found in the 2020-2030 Climate Plan of the administration of Mayor Valérie Plante.
Transport of goods and support for businesses
In order to optimize and accelerate the electrification of goods transport in the city center, the CCMM proposes to “create mini-storage hubs” and “choose schedules and vehicles adapted and complementary to heavy logistics for travel between hubs”.
It is really important that there is a process of support for businesses by the City. The danger is that public authorities put in place objectives, but not support capacities.
Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Such a reform of goods transport, according to the CCMM, would make it possible to “reduce congestion at the entrance to the city, ensure efficient last mile delivery, streamline the transport of goods and minimize its impact on the quality of urban life, particularly GHGs”. , congestion and noise.
Removal of parking lots
The CCMM proposes to remove on-street parking provided that it maximizes the use of certain underused parking spaces.
The objective being to “reduce congestion and [de] reallocate public space for other uses.”
“The car that is parked on a street uses a space that can be much more useful for the citizen, provided that there is space to park your car elsewhere,” indicated Michel Leblanc, adding that “ the problem is not that we lack parking, it’s that we can’t find them or that they aren’t necessarily in the right places.”
According to the CCMM, it is necessary to “develop a technological solution to facilitate access to parking, particularly parking spaces located near the public transport network”.
“We think that it takes a tool and the City should be responsible for developing this tool, so that it is easy to find spaces in private areas where there is parking,” summarized Michel Leblanc.
Breaking down silos
The CCMM study underlines that “the transition and management of climate risks are priorities” for entrepreneurs, but that they “ [passent] behind three other immediate issues” such as economic uncertainties, labor scarcity and inflation.
“Entrepreneurs tell us: ‘I know that I must act for the environment, but I never give in to this priority,’” summarized Michel Leblanc.
“Our study highlights the importance of breaking down silos to facilitate the dissemination of information and support for businesses,” he added.