MONTREAL -- The City of Montreal is gearing up to implement its new parking system – one that promises to introduce ‘dynamic’ parking rates.

That means drivers will have to pay more to park during peak periods, but could pay less during other, less busy times.

The new paramunicipal Sustainable Mobility Agency will replace the current Stationnement de Montréal model, which is handled through an agreement with the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.

City officials announced in 2018 that they would terminate the deal in favour of creating the Sustainable Mobility Agency to “optimize the parking offer.”

"We know that we need to go further when it comes to parking management in Montreal,” said Eric Alan Caldwell, the Montreal executive committee member responsible for urban planning.

“The Sustainable Mobility Agency…will have a mandate to be more ambitious and optimize parking – to do more with what we have."

For a project like the renovation of Ste-Catherine St., for example, sidewalks are due to be widened, taking away parking spots. Rhe new organization will have to find new places for citizens to park, Caldwell said.

The goal is to:

  • Find an agreement with private and public parking spaces to help people find existing parking,
  • Create a mobile application that will indicate, in real time, the availability of parking spaces and the restrictions attached to them,
  • Introduce new payment plans, such as a pay-by-license-plate system,
  • Improve access to self-service vehicles like Car2Go and Communauto,
  • Crack down on parking violations across the city.

"Sustainable mobility is a priority issue,” said Rémi Root, chairperson of the board of directors of the Sustainable Mobility Agency. “This will enable us to develop innovative solutions and implement structuring projects to better meet the demands and expectations of the population.”

Officials insist the new system isn’t about collecting more money, but rather improving access to parking for drivers.

The change is expected to come into effect on Jan. 1.