Montreal eyes improvements to make parking less painful

Montreal is working on a new parking strategy to address complicated signage and to update pricing, while encouraging drivers to leave their cars at home.

City officials have completed acomprehensive study looking atstreet parking and publicparkinglots and how they are used, signageand regulations.

• Parking signs in Montreal too confusing, councillor says
• Westmount's pay-by-plate parking replacing coin meters

The city says its goal is "to offer a balanced parking plan to improvequality of life for citizens and to assure economic vitality, and atthe same time, reducing dependence on the automobile and its impact onthe environment."

On Wednesday, Mayor Denis Coderre said sustainable development and quality of life concerns are key to the new parking strategy.

"When you waste time to go around four, fivetimes [looking for parking], it's not truly good on your humour. So it enhances your own joie de vivre,"he said.

City officials say they want acoherent strategy that will apply toallboroughs across the island.

There are 37 proposed measures, including:

• using dynamic signage to indicate availability of parking incertain areas.
• using sensors to indicate, in real time, availability of parking spaces.
• setting up zones for modes of sustainable transport, such as bicycles.
• encouraging use of Bixi shared bicycles, taxis and car-sharing.
• buildingbike shelters at metro stations.
• introducingnew parking fee structures, such asprogressive pricing or pricingbased on availability.
• simplifyingstreet signage.

The city wants to hold public consultations on the new parkingstrategy in the spring of 2016.

Hope, tainted by experience

One Montreal driverinterviewed by CBC Montreal said the new parking measures could be good news if carried outcorrectly.

Isabelle Langlois saidin her old PlateauMont-Royal neighbourhood,she sawmeasures meant to improve parking only make matters worse

"They were supposed to simplify our lives, but they never did. They only cost me more and restricted my options," she said.