Use more space, pay more for parking. That’s the simple idea being implemented in part of Montreal as the area joins a small but growing list of places trying to rein in the biggest and most polluting private vehicles.the new rules
The new rules replace one that priced parking permits according to engine size. The mayor said that this system was no longer sufficient, explaining that large vehicles can have smaller motors than before because of advancing technology. The new rules are based on weight, using that as a rough indicator of size.
Several safety concerns are attributed to larger vehicles. Speed bumps and curbs became less of a deterrent as vehicles grew. Larger vehicles with higher grilles are more dangerous to those on foot, striking them in the chest instead of the legs, while giving drivers less ability to see what’s directly in front of them.
Few politicians have been willing to push back against the swelling heft of vehicles that are clearly popular. They amounted to 82 per cent of sales last year. But a handful of North American jurisdictions are making moves to discourage the most intrusive types of vehicle. “A lot of our member cities are looking at D.C. and seeing what the effect might be,” said Alex Engel, the spokesman for the National Association of City Transportation Officials, which counts a number of Canadian municipalities among its ranks.