Between 20 and 30% of the 9,400 parking spaces located along the Metropolitan Express Network (REM) will pay, the Caisse de dépôt has just decided. The organization, which claims to “meet the demand” of part of the population, aims to “increase the use of public transport throughout the day”.
This information, first revealed by the Journal of Montreal Thursday, were indeed confirmed to Press by CDPQ-Infra spokesperson Jean-Vincent Lacroix at the end of the day. “The vast majority of parking will remain free, we are still targeting 70% to 80% of spaces, but we also want to have 20% to 30% of reserved spaces linked to pricing,” he explains. topic.
It will therefore be possible to pay a certain amount each month to be able to park near a REM station, and then board the wagons. The majority of spaces reserved will be on a monthly basis, but a few might also be only daily. The price it would cost for each subscription has “not yet been decided”, but the Fund wants a “reasonable” cost.
“It is certain that the price should not be a barrier to use. We want to have something reasonable, ”illustrates Mr. Lacroix in this regard, recalling that reserved paid parking lots already exist in Laval and Longueuil, near the metro, although in smaller numbers. It is also not excluded that prices will increase as the network antennas open up, planned gradually.
Find a balance
His group says it wants to “find a balance” between the needs of the population and access to stations. “When we look at good practices around the world, we see that some people seek to park outside of rush hour. These reserved spaces would allow people to park around 10 am, without it being complicated, ”continues the spokesperson.
To increase the use of public transport throughout the day, including weekends, one way to do this is to have this offer of reserved spaces.
Jean-Vincent Lacroix, spokesperson for CPDQ-Infra
The latter immediately specifies that reserved spaces could be offered free of charge to certain categories of users, in particular people with reduced mobility or owners of electric cars and carpoolers. “We also have discussions with the Community and BIXI Montreal precisely to have other types of access to these stations,” says Mr. Lacroix.
The Caisse recalls that several users have “requested” to have paid reserved spaces in recent months. The measure will apply to all stations where it remains possible, including the Panama terminus of Brossard or that of Deux-Montagnes. But in the city center, the McGill and Édouard-Montpetit stations, on the other hand, do not have “enough spaces” for park-and-ride parking.
Beyond parking, CDPQ Infra also claims to be “in the process of modifying bus access” to the various future REM stations. Part of the budget that will be released with money from inactive parking lots will also go to “improving access to stations”, we promise.