Community parking project in Sec 19 Chandigarh faces space hurdle
2
Chandigarh: With the
Chandigarh municipal corporation
zeroing in on Sector 19 for a community parking project, the UT urban planning department has advised the civic body against demolishing the road berm areas along V-5 road in the sector for the pilot project.
The department emphasised that these areas are designated pedestrian paths and suggested exploring alternative options, including underground parking facilities.
On Wednesday, a meeting took place involving various stakeholders, including urban planning, Chandigarh traffic police, MC's engineering and architect wing, Sector 19's resident welfare association, and the local municipal councillor. While all parties shared their perspectives on the community parking project, technical considerations emerged as crucial factors for implementing this first-of-its-kind initiative.
The urban planning department expressed concerns about the proposed parking area along the road, noting it would significantly impact pedestrian movement. They highlighted that road expansion was not feasible. Although community parking features in the Chandigarh administration's parking policy, selecting appropriate locations remains a critical policy decision that shouldn't disrupt existing infrastructure.
Meeting participants also noted that converting roadside berms would primarily benefit residents living along that stretch, failing to address the parking needs of visitors to the sector's commercial areas. The suggestion for underground parking facilities also received limited support from the stakeholders.
With no concrete decisions reached during this meeting, sources indicate that the
community parking initiative
requires further discussions. These must consider various factors, including space availability, architectural guidelines, Chandigarh Master Plan.
Box: 2nd attempt
This marks the MC's second attempt at implementing community parking in the city. After the project's failure in Sector 35 in 2022 due to public opposition, attention shifted to Sector 19 for the pilot scheme. In 2024, the MC's survey of Sector 19 identified V5 road locations, noting that residents had encroached upon wide pavement areas for personal gardens, resulting in vehicles being parked on roads and pavements.
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