Strasbourg Parking Reform: Outrage as On-Street Parking Rates Increase and Red Zones Widened

Since April 3, 2023, the date of entry into force of the first phase of the major parking reform initiated by the municipality, on-street parking rates have been increased and the orange and red zones have been widened.

A decision far from being unanimous with the motorists we interviewed.

“Too expensive”, “prohibitive”, “theft”, “organized racketeering”

On Tuesday, we went to the Bourse car park in Strasbourg, a once orange area, which has turned red since April 3.

At this location, the hour of parking therefore went, at the same time, from €2.10 to €3.5. To park there for 2 hours, you now have to pay €8, compared to €4.20 previously. “It’s too expensive,” says Marie, 22, a student. “It’s prohibitive,” adds Virgile, 39, web developer. “It’s theft, a scam,” says Vincent, 52, a resident of Bischheim. “It’s organized racketeering,” adds Michel, 57, who comes to him from Nîmes. In this regard, the military easily awards “the gold medal” to the environmental town hall.

Inflation, gas prices…

“We have more and more things to pay and less and less money”, underlines Virgile. “That’s on top of a whole bunch of raises going on right now that’s making it harder and harder. When you have a modest salary, it’s not easy, ”continues this resident of Schiltigheim, referring to the inflationary context. After a slight slowdown in March 2023, the inflation rate started to rise again in April according to INSEE. “Life has increased”, also insists Sadun 43 years old, who for his part evokes the “ gasoline prices« .

Chase the car from public space to be able to reclaim it

With this major parking reform, other measures of which will come into force next October and then in 2024, the majority’s plan is clear: chase the car from public space in order to be able to reclaim it for the benefit of other uses.

Whether on the scale of the City or the Eurometropolis, many mobility plans have been launched in order to offer the inhabitants of the territory a whole range of alternatives to the private car. We can cite the bicycle plan to the tune of 100 million euros, which provides in particular for the creation of 120 additional kilometers of cycle paths, the European Metropolitan Express Network (REME), whose ambition is to create a shock of supply in of trains, the extension of the tram network to the north and west, the Low Emission Zone (ZFE), which is accompanied by financial aid for changing vehicles or getting rid of them, and the pedestrian plan .

The big ignition delay of the REME pointed out

“I practice REME, it doesn’t work at all well,” objects Floriane, 41, who uses the bike + train combo to get to work in Brumath. “The launch of the REME did not work at all, the trains were always late”, confirms Marie, who underlines “that with the strikes, it was even worse”.

Since its inauguration on December 11, 2022, the REME has indeed had a series of disappointments. Concretely, while the objective was, from the inauguration, to have 810 more trains per week in the Bas-Rhin, it is now to obtain, by next June at least… 640. Compensation have been put in place for injured travellers.

And a cycling practice to improve for some

For cycling, the same, there is still a long way to go, notes Floriane. She who lives in Cronenbourg is forced to note that “the cycle paths are not always secure: there are places where it stops dead”. “In winter, I had to take my car because the tracks weren’t cleared of snow at all,” she points out. Last December, part of the opposition criticized a lack of anticipation in this area. “Since Tuesday, many pedestrian, cyclist and automobile traffic lanes remain congested or dangerous to practice. This situation lasted the entire working week,” criticized Pierre Jakubowicz, opposition municipal councilor (Horizons), in a press release dated December 17.

In the Large Cities category of the 2021 barometer of the Federation of Bicycle Users, Strasbourg was in second position. In the previous edition, it occupied the first place. A downgrade in particular due to a change in method between the two editions.

For its part, the City defends a proactive policy in this area, in particular through its cycle ring project, which consists of a cycle and pedestrian bypass of the Grande-Île of nearly 4 km, which must see the light of day here 2026.

In short, in the idea, Floriane is not opposed to the idea of ​​gradually driving out the car but, in her opinion, “it’s too fast”. “Before increasing parking rates, we should make sure that the alternative plans really work rather than forcing us to pay more,” agrees Marie, the student.

The CTS tariff schedule soon to be reviewed

For Virgile, one way to send “good signals” would be to accompany these increases with decreases elsewhere, in public transport, for example. However, “the prices of the tram are not falling”, he notes.

And, to tell the truth, in order to balance its budget and be able to finance future infrastructure projects, the Compagnie des transports strasbourgeois (CTS) even plans to review its price list as of July 1, 2023. This overhaul will aim, according to the terms of the CTS, “to strongly encourage the subscription and the sustainable use of public transport by making the majority of the effort bear by occasional travellers”. In concrete terms, for occasional travellers, the one-way ticket will drop from €1.7 to €1.9, excluding the cost of acquiring a rechargeable ticket.

That being said, since September 1, 2021, all young people under the age of 18 living in the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg can benefit from free public transport. “I find it a bit strange that it is the under 18s who benefit from the free tram when they are not the ones who park in town with their car”, quips Virgile, when we point out to him. Note, however, that CTS subscribers can park unlimited and free of charge in the park and ride (P+R) in the city, except Rotonde.

“It’s very good if you are a boo on a bike”

For Vincent, all of this is more of a “dogma” than an “economic reality”. “The ecological dogma is to get all cars out of the city center,” he explains.

It’s just a shame. Try to go shopping in town, then leave with your arms full of shopping bags by public transport. It’s great if you live in an Airbnb in Strasbourg or you’re a bike boo. But when you have four kids, it doesn’t work that way. You can’t even park in front of the school!

In certain streets, called school streets, “the street is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists at least at school entrance and exit times, or even completely pedestrianized if the context allows it”, indicates the City on its site. “This approach is part of a peaceful, friendly, breathable city, in which life is good,” she defends.

Tourists trapped, according to Michel

“I understand the ecological argument [de la hausse du prix du stationnement] “says Mary. “It’s much more pleasant in a city with fewer cars, but the problem is that it’s complicated afterwards for people who are not from Strasbourg to come to Strasbourg”, she adds. Michel, who came from Nîmes, feels “prisoner”. “Trapped”, even: “A tourist like me, or someone who comes for a trip of opportunity does not know where he can park and ends up falling into the trap”, he annoys. “It’s an arm of honor to all those who live outside Strasbourg and who want to come there”, slice Vincent.

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