New car park, renovation at Arquebuse… What future for parking in Auxerre?

Build a silo car park with 450 spaces near the Paris roundabout, renovate the underground structures of Arquebuse and Pont. Here is the ambition of the City of Auxerre in terms of parking. To avoid financing the developments and rehabilitations itself, the municipality wishes to pass on the investment, estimated between €10 and €12 million, to a private service provider.

The latter would also take over the management of parking and would be paid with the resulting revenues. In the municipal council on Thursday, December 19, elected officials validated the principle of using a public service delegation

despite the reluctance of several opposition elected officials.

“No switching from free to paid places”

“The creation of this new car park requires a considerable investment which must be profitable. Free places on the boulevards will eventually become chargeable. There will be direct consequences on citizens’ wallets,” said Mathieu Debain (DVC), immediately echoed by Sébastien Dolozilek (UDI), the deputy in charge of the file. “There will be no switch from free to paid parking spaces,” assured the elected official, without completely convincing. “You don’t want to assume that the boulevards will become chargeable,” added Mathieu Debain, in the direction of the mayor. “The perimeter of paid parking will not change,” promised Crescent Marault (Horizons).

In fact, in the future, the City plans to reduce parking spaces on boulevards and in the city center. “We want to rationalize parking in certain places to avoid having it everywhere. Rue Paul-Bert for example, it is not relevant. Ultimately, we would have a bus with a high level of service which would leave from the station to the Tournelle roundabout in Paris, which would go to Arquebuse, the Paul-Bert bridge, and the conservatory. If we succeed, we will have to free up space, we will no longer be able to put parking on the boulevards,” explained Crescent Marault.

But it’s not for now. The City wishes to wait until the southern bypass comes into service to change the traffic plan. “We agree to rethink the place of the car in the city, but in four years of mandate we have not seen the slightest study of needs. You are asking for a blank check,” attacked Mani Cambefort (PS). “He tells us that, and he takes away a parking lot from Cordeliers,” quipped the mayor, alluding to the pedestrianization project proposed by the Vivre l’Auxerrois association, notably supported by the elected socialist.

Environmentalist Florence Loury was in favor of reducing the space for cars in the city, but estimated that the majority were doing “things in reverse”, waiting for the construction of the bypass to act. “This traffic plan is the first thing to do. » “It’s impossible until we resolve this transit flow,” insisted Crescent Marault.

Specifications to come

Pascal Henriat (MoDem) indicated that he was in favor of the future Porte de Paris car park, but would have liked one under the Place des Cordeliers. “It is not impossible to do it, these are political pretenses,” declared the centrist, also regretting the moment chosen to initiate this new policy. “Having been on your list, I did not see this in the program, it is not up to this municipal team to propose this delegation of public service which will hinder the action of the new team,” judged the ex-deputy.

“We just choose the management method that would allow a car park to be built, we will establish the specifications, launch a consultation and we will come back to you,” replied the mayor. In the meantime, the City entrusted parking control to the Indigo company in October. This took over from its subsidiary Streeteo, which had been responsible for this since spring 2023.