Moncton City Council approved a Transportation Dispersal Plan for dealing with parking and events in the downtown area.
The report shows nearly 4,000 parking spaces are within a 10 to 12 minute walk of the new Events Centre.
Downtown Moncton Centreville Inc Executive Director Anne Poirier Basque was asked about the possibility of increased congestion in the area.
“That’s what we want for the businesses downtown, we want people here, we want congestion, we want people to arrive in the downtown an hour or so ahead of time,” says Poirier Basque. “And we want the buzz, the activity!”
Poirier Basque says this plan is relying on a shift in mindset for the way people attend events.
“I think eventually we’re going to have to come to the realization that if we want our city to grow, if we want density, if we want more population in our downtown we’re going to have to start using transit, and change that a little bit,” says Poirier Basque.
She says a lot of the surface parking is available in the evenings.
“Their communicating with the parking lot owners in order to see what is available afterwards, and that perhaps if their patrons are monthly payers, [their spots] will be available on nights and weekends,” says Poirier Basque.
The report is only the first step in putting together a more comprehensive plan with all the action items costed out.
That is expected this Fall before budget deliberations begin.
