Lyon friends, put away your metro tickets… and get your bank cards ready! The city of Lyon is ramping up its efforts on paid parking, and this time it’s the 3rd, 5th, and 7th districts that are in the spotlight. Since May 13th, you can say goodbye to free parking in several neighborhoods that were still safe until now. The lovely days of “parking with ease” in Montchat, along the Quai des Étroits, or in the southeastern part of Gerland are officially over.
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In this new extension, it's the western neighborhood of Montchat, at the border with Villeurbanne, that will be paying up. The same goes for the entire quai des Étroits in the 5th district, and the southeast area of Gerland in the 7th, which was already targeted last December. The idea? To encourage vehicle rotation, reduce pollution, and – according to the city hall – improve the quality of life. “Regulated street parking is a real lever,” we're told. A lever… that can sometimes feel heavy on the wallets of the residents.
The City is Toughening Up on Free Parking
And this isn't the first stone in the structure. Since June 2024, a new parking policy has been implemented, featuring much higher resident rates for heavy vehicles: €45 per month for SUVs or similar vehicles, compared to €15 for lighter cars and large families. It’s a way to convey that the city is more enjoyable by bike than in a big American pickup.
Moral of the story: if you live in one of these areas, it's better to ask for your resident's card or consider swapping your car for an electric bike. Because in Lyon, free parking is becoming a rare species.