2023-05-12 21:58:04
The 90 stations-zones
, of 500 square meters, will be deployed in ten boroughs of Montreal. They will remain in place at least until November 2023.
They will allow users of the car-sharing service to park vehicles on a larger perimeter rather than in a specific location. A few minutes before the start of the reservation, the user will receive the location of the reserved vehicle on his mobile application.
We feel an unprecedented enthusiasm on the part of Montrealers for this mobility option
underlined the person in charge of transport and mobility on the executive committee of the City of Montreal, Sophie Mauzerolle. It gives citizens more leeway
she summarized.
Facilitate the addition of vehicles in the network
Last June, the company experienced a 30% jump in its subscribers and struggled to meet demand during peak hours and on weekends. In November, Communauto deplored the fact that administrative delays in approving new parking spaces are slowing down service.
The problem is that you have to find them [et] negotiate each contract individually, which is complicated
explained the vice-president of the company, Marco Viviani, in an interview at the microphone of All one morning on ICI Première on Friday.
The news stations-zones
allow vehicles to be parked in larger areas and reserved in advance or at the last minute, service-style FLEX
. This service allows you to reserve a car spontaneously and park it anywhere.
FLEX is very useful when you have not been able to book or when you have a trip at the last minute, but if you want to plan in advance, it becomes complicated
note M. Viviani
Communauto vehicles have a universal sticker that allows vehicles to be parked almost anywhere, an essential element for the shutter FLEX
. The idea of using these vignettes for vehicles a station
therefore sprouted.
This way of proceeding does not require any particular signage at the sidewalk or that the City does not monopolize parking spaces.
It’s extremely flexible
underlined the president and founder of Communauto, Robert Benoît, in particular on the location of the stations-zones
and the number of vehicles in each of these zones.
The president and founder of Communauto, Benoît Robert. (File photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Ivanoh Demers
« It allows us to bring supply closer to demand, which we were never able to do until this year. »
Mr. Benoît assures that adding cars to the streets will not contribute to the scarcity of parking. According to a survey of subscribers in February 2023, 83% do not own a car and around 78% say they have either sold their vehicle or given up on buying one.
885 additional vehicles
The company plans to add 885 new vehicles to its fleet, including 710 by the end of the summer. Of the lot, about 350 will be dedicated to news stations-zones
660 will be in fixed station and 50 in mode FLEX
.
At the end of the summer season, Communauto’s fleet will number 3,500 vehicles.
The president of the organization revealed on Friday that he would have liked to add up to 1,150. Since mid-March, around twenty vehicles have been put into service and nearly 150 more will be in the coming weeks.
Seven new models are added: Nissan Sentra, Nissan Kicks, Kia Forte 5, Kia Sportage, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Kia Sorento and Kia Carnival. The last two models can carry at least seven people.
The cars expected last year to relieve traffic were trickling in due to disruptions in supply chains. Of the 800 vehicles ordered before summer 2022, 550 have been delivered.
In recent years, the automobile fleet has increased more rapidly than the general population in Montreal
noted Sophie Mauzerolle. Vehicles are getting bigger and heavier, more and more numerous and that leads to all sorts of safety issues on our territory.
A popular service in central neighborhoods
THE stations-zones
which were the subject of a pilot project in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough this winter, will first be extended to the boroughs of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Station-zones by district
- Plateau-Mont-Royal : 21 zones
- Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie: 11 zones
- Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: 7 zones
Ville-Marie, Sud-Ouest, Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, Verdun, Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Outremont will be added later.
Nearly 12% of Montreal households use Communauto, but the popularity of the service is concentrated in central neighborhoods.
For example, one-third of Plateau-Mont-Royal households subscribe to it, compared to only 3% of Ville-Saint-Laurent residents.
Percentage of subscribing households
- Plateau-Mont-Royal : 33 %
- Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie: 19%
- Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: 26%
Two factors explain this observation, according to Marco Viviani: a better public transport offer in the central sectors and easier access to local services.
Marco Viviani, vice-president of Communauto (File photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada
In addition, Communauto announced on Friday that it had extended the territory FLEX
to the borough of Lachine and to Cégep Marie-Victorin, in the borough of Montréal-Nord.
Communauto offers vehicles a station
which have had reserved parking spaces since 1994 and have a fleet of several thousand vehicles in Montreal, Quebec, Gatineau and Sherbrooke, as well as in 11 cities elsewhere in Canada and in Paris.
To read and listen:
With information from Maud Cucchi
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