Montreal’s off-island city of Vaudreuil-Dorion will limit parking at the adjacent sports complex to four hours a day.
That means dozens of people who catch the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) train to go downtown will have to find another place to park.
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The train’s parking lot has 593 spots available, but places fill quickly during rush hour, leaving many people stuck on nearby streets.
Tuesday, notices prohibiting daily parking at the complex were being placed on people’s windshields.
“A lot of people come from Vaudreuil and exterior to come take the train,” Jimmy Morneau, a Vaudreuil employee, told Global News.
The city’s decision to implement the parking ban at the sports complex was made after dozens of complaints were made by the health club’s users about the lack of space.
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Vaudreuil-Dorion mayor Guy Pilon says he had no choice but to act – even if it inconveniences train users.
“I’m very sorry about it. They will have to walk a bit more because the only available spaces are further,” he told Global News.
The lack of parking at the Vaudreuil station is ubiquitous to almost all stations on the AMT network.
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“The AMT’s parking is not enough in many areas. Beaconsfield, I know, is a major issue. Pointe-Claire is a major issue,” one rider told Global News.
“This is a major everywhere. This is something that needs to be taken care of and there is no question that the AMT is responsible.”
A valet service is being offered at the Saint-Lambert station to ease some of the parking constraints, but the transit organization has no plans to extend it to other stations.
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In a statement to Global News, AMT spokesperson Carlione Julie Fortin wrote the agency doesn’t have the budget to develop nearby vacant lots.
Quebec’s transport minister isn’t making any offers to help pay.
“We receive a lot of demands and we treat each one based on need,” Laurent Lessard told Global News.
Parking violators at the sports complex will be warned, but could eventually face fines of $43.
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