Eliminate all free parking spaces in Montreal, says environmental group

An environmental group is proposing all free parking spaces in Montreal should be removed – turning them all into paid spots – for environmental purposes.

The Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal (CRE-Montréal) put forward 23 solutions on how the city can use unoccupied parking spaces for a more efficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly purpose.

According to a 2016 parking policy report by the City of Montreal, the city recorded between 475,000 and 515,000 street parking spaces. CRE-Montréal’s white paper estimates each parking spot costs the city $1,275 per year.

“It amounts to half a billion dollars a year of value that is given on free street parking in Montreal. That is a lot of resources,” said CRE-Montréal’s urban planning and transport advisor Blaise Rémillard.

“Some could be used for other uses, like building housing. We know we are in bad need for housing in Montreal. Greening the city to lower the urban heat island effects.”

Parking has been a major topic among the experts and organizations working with CRE-Montréal for the last 20 years. The Council hopes their white paper’s recommendations can help Montreal achieve its goals to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and influence its 2050 Land Use and Mobility Plan – a set of proposed actions for a “greener and more inclusive city” that Montreal will adopt in 2024.

“There are places where there’s too much parking. We just got to get rid of it and use it for a better use,” added Rémillard.

“If we can reuse the streets for mobility instead of parking, then we can have way better transit options… When the transit will be more efficient, then people will need less cars.”

Part of the solution is optimizing the use of parking spaces like the ones found at movie theatres since they tend to remain vacant outside opening hours, according to Rémillard.

Another solution is to repurpose large parking spaces, such as the Esplanade Tranquille at the Quartier des spectacles. It was transformed into one of Montreal’s go-to outdoor skating rinks in the winter and a pavilion for concerts and public events in the summer.

“It’s a good example of the value you can create in the city with not having parking,” said Rémillard.