Since September 1st, parking has been chargeable throughout Winterthur. The responsible city councilor is satisfied.
Until three months ago, it was quite convenient for commuters in Winterthur: they could drive near a train station, park the car for free in the area and take the train to work. However, the city council found that residents were disadvantaged as a result because their parking spaces were blocked up all day.
He therefore abolished all free parking spaces on September 1st and had them “repainted” with blue paint to make paid parking spaces. Residents can buy a parking card for around 700 francs. For everyone else it’s over after an hour.
Positive conclusion – despite teething problems
The responsible city councilor Christa Meier (SP) thinks the new system has proven itself: “We see a very clear calming in the neighborhoods.”
Commuters quickly got used to the fact that there was no longer any option to park their car for free: “There are hardly any buses anymore.” Their conclusion: The neighborhoods were significantly relieved of commuter traffic.
Legend:
Parking in appropriate parking spaces costs 700 francs per year for residents.
City of Winterthur
For City Councilor Meier, however, not everything that glitters is gold: Because there are now fewer cars parked in the neighborhoods and there is a clear view, some drivers apparently feel encouraged to drive faster.
Meier admits that they have received isolated reports: “This is one of the teething problems that we have to monitor.”
If it turns out that people are driving too fast in neighborhoods, they would have to take measures. For example, by putting up appropriate signaling. But there are no concrete plans yet.
This is how the Blue Zone works in Winterthur
- Since September 1st, it has been signaled on the outskirts of the city that the blue zone applies across the board in Winterthur.
- Residents need a valid parking permit for their parking zone.
- A permit is only available to those who live or have a business in Winterthur and there is no private parking available.
- A valid parking permit is also required on streets without marked parking spaces.
(Source: City of Winterthur)
Fears had also been raised in advance that parking spaces would be lost due to the new parking regime. This is actually the case in some streets, says Meier: “For safety reasons, we had to remove certain parking spaces.”
This happened in neighborhoods where free parking was previously possible, for example in the Breite district. With the drawing of blue parking spaces, there are now fewer parking options than before.
Overall, Christa Meier is confident that there are enough parking spaces for residents.
Painting activity will not be completed until spring
The “repainting” isn’t quite finished yet. Because of the damp weather, the city progressed less quickly than planned. “We can only do painting when it is dry and there is no snow,” says Meier.
The last new, blue parking fields would probably not be painted until spring. Nevertheless: No matter what color a Winterthur parking space may be, it is no longer free, the blue zone also applies.
Regional Journal Zurich Schaffhausen, 11/26/24, 6:32 a.m. ;
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