City to study parking rules for new residential buildings

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This article was published 28/04/2021 (1675 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE city is studying the viability of changing parking requirements at new multi-unit residential properties in the city.

St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard put the motion before the Riel Community Committee on Tuesday. He said by lowering the number of parking stalls required at new developments, the city could stimulate the car-sharing market.

“I found out in a recent appeal hearing that a car share can be equivalent to 15 on-street parking stalls in larger buildings. I believe car share is a way to reduce pressure of parking on the street and also reducing traffic in the neighbourhood because access to a mode share vehicle can mean people choose to reduce the number of cars that they own, operate and end up parked in the neighbourhood,” Allard said.

Allard’s proposal asks the city to study what the impact would be if developers were able to, instead of providing parking stalls, provide detailed plans on how they would either support car-sharing programs, provide additional bicycle parking or provide transit passes as part of a tenancy agreement.

Allard said he thinks those kinds of policies need to be considered alongside advancements to the active transport network and improvements in transit service.

“More demand for transit and active transportation will reduce congestion on our roads which benefits single-passenger vehicle drivers while making our city more financially and environmentally sustainable. The more people start making choices to ride as passengers, ride the bus, use a car-share, walk and bike, the more people will be asking for facilities and services that are enhanced to allow for more of these services,” he said.

sarah.lawrynuik@freepress.mb.ca