It is advertised as a “revolution” in parking. In Strasbourg, from April 3, you will have to put your hands in your pocket a little more to park. Small bomb as the subject is sensitive. The project, which will be discussed at the next city council on March 20, but also that of the Eurometropolis a few days later, should not ease tensions in the Strasbourg hemicycle. On the menu, presented to the press this Wednesday by the environmental mayor Jeanne Barseghian and her deputy in charge of shared spaces and roads Pierre Ozenne, “the improvement of the situation in certain sectors where parking has become anarchic”.
But also the “need to rethink the use and sharing of public space”, the “re-pedestrianization of sidewalks, the release of public spaces in a logic of city to live more peaceful and resilient “. As a dessert, the long-awaited part of the project, the revision of parking pricing, for residents and visitors alike, and the extension of the sectors concerned.
The widely extended “red zone” center
The measure is essentially intended to promote rotations and encourage “visitors” to use the car parks under construction, and especially the relay car parks at the entrances to the city. The red zone, including the one where parking is “tense” and therefore the most expensive, which was limited so far to the hyper center, should extend from April 3 to the station sector, the Krutenau, the areas of court and Republic.
As a bonus, there are also plans to increase prices in all paying sectors of the city. A measure aimed in particular at freeing the sidewalks, too often occupied by cars, “by storing” “immobile” vehicles in the many car parks in structures that are too often underused, explains the mayor. In the red zone, the first hour will thus go from 2.10 to 3.50 euros and from 4.20 to 8 euros for the second hour. The orange zone and the green zone will also increase, going from 2.50 euros for the first hour against 1.70 euros and to 3.50 euros from the second hour.
As for green areas, residential areas often devoid of public car parks and where parking is mainly on the road, it doubles. The general idea, insists the city, is to encourage visitors and residents to encourage parking in car parks, also arguing that the prices are more attractive there than on the road. It should be noted that the specific pricing for health professionals and “mobile professionals”, including craftsmen, is however maintained.
New paying sectors in 2024
The Neudorf district had had parking problems for a long time. Cars turning to find a place, overlapping of the sidewalk, on cycle paths, suction cup cars (30%) often coming from neighboring districts where parking had become chargeable… The Neudorf will therefore become chargeable in 2024. The proposed perimeter corresponds to approximately 6,500 spaces, with orange pricing in the Heyritz and northern Neudorf sector given the presence of car parks under construction, and green for the southern part of Neudorf. Another sector concerned, the Orangerie, the Sainte-Hélène block, the Zorn quay and the rue Lauth. The 1,600 places concerned would pass into the green zone.
Another novelty, to further encourage vehicle rotations on certain parking spaces, it is planned to experiment with so-called “purple” spaces, generally located near shops, intermodal hubs, drop-off points, “where the duration parking space would be very limited”, explains Pierre Ozenne. Their possible implementation “will be the subject of citizen participation and consultation”, indicates the elected official.
A resident road subscription could triple
Another great novelty, subject to the vote by the municipal council on March 20, is the incendiary subject of the pricing of resident parking. From 1 October 2023, the monthly subscription for resident parking in the street, currently 15 euros per household, will increase. It will even, in some cases, almost triple. It will indeed be indexed to household income, for the sake of social “equality” recalls the city. This solidarity residential tariff will therefore be based on the reference tax income per share. Concretely, the pricing will remain at 15 euros for the most vulnerable households, but will increase to 30 euros for the upper bracket (between 14,059 euros and 22,983 euros) and even to 40 euros for the upper bracket. It should be noted that this subscription will not allow residents to park for free in the “purple” spaces, the number of which is not yet defined.
On the other hand, to encourage residents to leave the road, a new subscription will be available in seven car parks in the city on 1 October. With a subscription of 60 euros per month if the car park is located outside the residential area and outside the Grand Île, and 90 euros per month if it is located in his area of residence or on the Grande Île. The subscription will also allow you to park free of charge and daily for a maximum of one hour in the public space in your parking area.