Moncton downtown centre plan lacks parking lot

Moncton's decision to not include dedicated parking at the new downtown centre is in line with what other cities across the country have done, says city spokeswoman Isabelle LeBlanc.

On Wednesday, city council voted 8-3 to approve the $104 million project, which will see a 9,000-seat arena built on the former Highfield Square site on Main Street.

But at that council meeting it was revealed people who want to drive to the venue will have to park in one of the 3,000 public and private parking spots that are already within a 10-minute walk.

That prompted some people to weigh in through social media.

"A nine-thousand-seat sports centre with no parking? Good luck with that, Moncton," wrote Anthony Burgess on CBC New Brunswick's Facebook page.

That's also where Kanis Lupus wrote " I don't know why Moncton doesn't realize that with any new building they need to add in the construction of parking structures. Above and below ground to accommodate."

On Twitter, Weh-Ming Cho stated "3,000 spots within a 10-minute walk … Sounds like the perfect time to start a new booting business."

Information Morning - Moncton8:27Downtown centre questions

Isabelle LeBlanc of the City of Moncton answers questions about the new downtown entertainment centreLeBlanc, the city's director of corporate communications, agreed many people don't understand this idea during an interview Friday on Information Morning in Moncton.

 "I know it's a bit of a shift in thinking because we are all so used to walking about 30 metres before getting to the door," she said.

LeBlanc said the city adopted the dispersed parking model because there are about 3,000 parking within a 10-minute walk of where the new building will be built.

"These are privately owned lots and city-owned lots. So there are 3,000 spaces within a 10-minute walk of the facility. We average about three people per car, so that can accommodate up to 9,000 spectators going to an event, which is the capacity of the building."

LeBlanc also noted that downtown arenas in Halifax and Montreal don't have dedicated parking either.

She did note there would be some accessible parking at the new building for those with mobility issues.

"There [will also be] a drop-off zone. We're very lucky because Codiac Transpo's transit station is right on the other side of the street, which is perfect," LeBlanc added

Once people see the final traffic and parking plan they will better understand the concept behind the decision, she said.

Construction is slated to begin on the centre this spring, and is scheduled to be open by the fall of 2018.