- The delicate and strategic question of a return (or not) of free parking between noon and two in Strasbourg takes its place in the municipal campaign.
- Parking between noon and two became payable in 2016 but this measure had already divided elected officials, residents and traders.
- The municipal opposition then challenged this measure as well as the traders. As the elections approach, opinions are no longer so clear-cut, not to say sometimes radically different.
It is through the prism of safeguarding local shops and accessibility in the city center of Strasbourg that the thorny question of free access between noon and two is approached by municipal candidates. Its removal in 2016 had divided elected officials, residents and traders. "Transitional measure", "unavoidable", "bad signal", the candidates have in any case a very precise and definite idea on the question. We take stock.
For Jeanne Barseghian, from the Ecolo and citizen list, or even Kevin Loquais (LFI Generation. S), there was no question of "going back". This would be "a bad signal". The green candidate prefers to "cross solutions" to improve accessibility to the city center. Solution? Optimizing existing parking lots but above all developing “new generation” relay parking lots, close to the stations as a priority, according to the candidate. There, various services and advice would be offered to encourage the use of other modes of transport than the car. Relay car parks of a new kind? This is the idea also proposed by Catherine Trautmann (PS) or even Chantal Cutajar (Engaged citizens). Whether they are called "Center", "hub", "New generation relay", these car parks which would offer a wide range of services and access to gentle means of transport are favored by candidates.
With nuances however. If Catherine Trautmann fears that the free will reappear "suction cups cars for long periods of the day", her team explains wanting a measure "to help all traders. The candidate offers free parking from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every first Saturday of the month, to which is added ten or so floating days, to be determined in consultation with the merchants and the CCI. While taking over direct on-street parking, entrusted to the company Streeteo, a system "clearly unsatisfactory" according to all the candidates. And to see in a year, if this free service is a real lever for trade.
The choice of free
If certain announcements were able to surprise, the return of the gratuitousness is however the choice of four candidates. (LR, LREM, Engaged Citizens and RN). Pending the construction of the "new relay car parks", Chantal Cutajar wishes to temporarily put back in place the free service from 11:30 am and 2:30 pm, to "act methodically and in concert. »Hombeline du Parc (RN) is offering a free return trip between noon and two and even from 6 p.m. But it was above all the decision of the LREM candidate Alain Fontanel that was able to surprise. The current first deputy mayor, previously opposed to this free lunch break, is finally in favor, provided that this is accompanied by the establishment of a free electric shuttle. This would connect the car parks and the city center. Reason invoked: giving a "strong signal" explains the candidate because the city suffers from the negative image of inaccessibility linked to "bunkering during the Christmas period, an image that lasts throughout the year. But also to that due to parking.
Our file on Municipal
What surprise other candidates, and especially Jean-Philippe Vetter (Les Républicains). Whoever proposed and defended first in his program the return to free and offers a new underground car park in the center, is surprised: "It is the same person who voted for the elimination of free parking in 2016. It is the LREM candidate who contradicts the first LREM assistant ”. “We are witnessing in this campaign, an escalation, denounces his side Kévin Loquais. It is the fair with promises but not there are no new projects for Strasbourg. "
One thing is certain, the free parking between noon and two has not finished talking about it.
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