Need parking? Moncton says 4,000 spots available near downtown centre

After crunching the numbers, the City of Moncton says there is adequate existing parkingand transportationto allow for 10,000 people, to visit the downtown centre inan evening.

The TransportationDispersal Plan,developed by IBI Group Professional Services (Canada) Inc. and Crandall Engineering Ltd. was presented to council at Monday night's meeting.

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Surveys were conducted of available parking at different times in the evening, and Peter Allaby, of Crandall Engineering Ltd.said 4,000 parking spots were found to be available within a 15 minute walk of the centre. He said with carpooling factored in, as well as other modes of transportation, these spots will be enough.

"Even for a small event,there's enough parking within a 10 minute walk and most of that is within a sixminute walk to serve your routine Wildcats game," said Allaby.

There will be a total of 24 accessible parking spaces near the centre.

Public transit a priority

Andrea Lendak, of IBI Group Professional Services Inc., said the city asked that public transit be a priority.

"We want to make sure buses have the prime spot in the house."

"As spectators come out of the events centre they'll have bus options right there."

There will be space for five bus loading areas on each side of Main Street in between HighfieldStreet and Weldon Street. During events, accessible transit will have direct access to the building.

The plan alsorecommends that 50 spaces be made available for cycliststo lock up their bikes.

People will be able to be picked up and dropped off near the centre, but the plan recommends it happen at least a block away on Cameron Street, to cut down on congestion in front of the centre, on Main Street.

A new permanent taxi stand will be installed on HighfieldStreet, with space for at least 15 cars to line up.

Another option is walking, and to make thateasier, the city is looking into making the dark CN underpass on Main street a more pleasant place to walk. The city is also looking atadding a sidewalk on the west side of Foundry Street, adding another crosswalk on Main Street, a new street between Downing and Foundry, and installing crossing at the CN tracks south of the centre.

To develop the plan, Allaby said three online surveys were taken, one with input from Codiac Transpo, hotels, restaurants, parking lot operators, developers, realtors, and the RCMP. Another survey was done by Moncton Wildcats fans and the third was done with members of La Bikery Co-operative, a community bicycle centre.

Costs kept quiet

An issue raised at council was costs associated with implementing the plan.

Coun. Paul Pellerin said that during a private presentation earlier in the day, a dollar figure was given out by city staff, but no one would say it publicly at the session.

"Why can't we tell the public now what the proposed costs are associated with all these modifications?" said Pellerinat the council meeting.

But Alcide Richard, director of Design and Construction with theCity of Monctonsaid thosecosts arepreliminary.

"They are very new to staff so we haveto delve into the details and bring that back to council in a proper venue."

Council passed a recommendation that city staff will continue developing the transportation plan, and will go before council with specific costs in September.