The Plateau-Mont Royal borough has adopted a bylaw banning the creation of new parking spaces in backyards as it implements plans to change more alleyways into parks.
First announced in April, the bylaw will permit existing parking spaces to remain but forbids homeowners who haven't already transformed their backyards from changing them into parking spots.
The measure was not universally loved, and over the past two and a have months many Plateau-Mont Royal residents spoke out against the plan and signed a petition against it.
Many residents said that they wanted to ensure they had parking spaces near their homes specifically so that they could acquire an electric car and have somewhere to charge it.
Borough mayor Luc Ferrandez said repeatedly that the Projet Montreal administration has a straightforward goal of reducing the use of cars in Montreal, be they powered by gasoline or electricity, and that people who disagree with limiting backyard parking spaces should garner enough signatures to force a referendum.
Opponents have already completed the first stage of that process, and the next step will happen in two weeks.
On June 20 people who oppose the bylaw will be able to sign a registry at the Borough's offices, on Laurier Ave. at Hotel de Ville Ave.
If enough people sign, it will force a referendum on the project to transform alleyways.
In the meantime the borough is going to transform more alleys into greenspaces, and on Monday evening approved an $800,000 contract to do so.
