Make cars part of the solution

Re: “Downtown must become a destination” (Montreal Gazette, April 27)

Valérie Plante was supposed to bring a degree of practicality to city hall. She needs to think about the shoppers she hopes to bring back to the revitalized Ste-Catherine St.

Shoppers from areas like N.D.G., LaSalle, the West Island and South Shore want to drive into town, park their cars and spend the day on foot, returning to the car to dump their purchases and go back for more.

They do not want to take two or three buses to get to the métro, then carry all their purchases home. Or wait for a commuter train that runs rarely outside of rush hour. Or pay more for a taxi or Uber than it would cost for all-day parking.

Those who get dressed up for an evening out do not want to take public transit — even less so, a Bixi.

Instead of discouraging cars from coming into the city, Plante should be encouraging them.

She must try to make Montreal a shopping city again, and realize she is competing against malls with free parking and easy access from highways.

Multi-level parkades, like the one that used to stand at the corner of Union St. and de Maisonneuve Blvd., are needed to revitalize Montreal’s shopping areas.

We have only to look south to Burlington, Vt., where Church St. has become a pedestrian plaza with a large parkade. The parkades could have recharging plugs for electric cars and reduced rates for electric and hybrid cars.

Let’s face it: Cars are vital for most of us, and efforts to do away with them make no sense.

Andy Dodge, Montreal West