The introduction of paid parking in the center of Moscow has increased the speed of traffic in the city center by 10%, Deputy Mayor Maxim Liksutov told the Moscow 24 TV channel. Thanks to paid parking, the capacity of highways has increased by 25%, he said.

“Paid parking is a cure for the city’s transport problems,” Liksutov said.

From December 25, paid parking will be introduced inside the Third Transport Ring (TTK). The expansion will not affect all streets inside the Third Transport Ring, but approximately 70%," the deputy mayor said. From December 25, the paid parking zone will expand to 450 streets within the TTK. An hour of parking will cost drivers 40 rubles.

Inside the Garden Ring, the average speed of traffic has increased by about 4% in the morning and 5% in the evening rush hour compared to September-October 2013, Yandex reported yesterday, citing an analysis of data from its Yandex.Traffic service. Apparently, this happened due to the introduction of paid parking, the company says. Between the Garden Ring and the Third Transport Ring, the situation has hardly changed. And the strongest improvements - by almost 9% in the morning and 3% in the evening - occurred between the Third Transport Ring and the Moscow Ring Road, primarily due to new interchanges and overpasses, the company believes.

Parking fees within the Boulevard Ring were introduced on June 1, 2013, and within the Garden Ring on December 25, 2013.

According to Yandex, the traffic situation in Moscow was slightly better in September and October of this year than in the same months of 2013: travel time on the capital's streets during rush hour decreased by an average of 5%. "September-October is a period of average congestion, when vacation time has passed and snowfalls have not yet begun," the company believes. In November, the situation changed: congestion in the afternoon increased sharply, and in the evening the roads became worse than in November 2013. But in the mornings, Moscow's streets were still freer, and the average travel time during rush hour in November was 1% less than a year earlier.

"This is the first time since at least 2010 that we have seen positive changes on Moscow roads. Previously, congestion only increased," the company noted.

Among the major highways, the situation improved on Entuziastov Highway, Profsoyuznaya Street and Ryazansky Prospekt: travel time on these highways decreased by more than 10%. On the Moscow Ring Road, the average speed increased by almost 9%, on the Third Transport Ring and Garden Ring - by 5-6%. Noticeable deteriorations were recorded on the Novy Arbat - Kutuzovsky Prospekt - Rublevskoye Highway and Barrikadnaya - Zvenigorodskoye Highway - Marshal Zhukov Avenue highways, where the average speed during rush hour fell by 10%, Yandex reported.

Paid parking is a cure for the city's transport problems - Liksutov