In a move meant to discourage motor vehicles from entering the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, the well-known pay-for-parking lot there will no longer be open to the public. It will be used instead for the direct benefit of the residents and local schools, institutes and businesses.
The decision was announced by JQDC, the Company for the Reconstruction and Development of the Jewish Quarter, Ltd. JQDC owns two parking lots in the Jewish Quarter, one on either side of the road leading down from Zion Gate to the Western Wall. The southern lot [to the right], with 70 spots, has long been used as a for-pay parking area for visitors, while the other one, more than twice as large, is designated for free parking for the residents.
The decision to reserve both lots for the residents and local institutions is designed to discourage motor traffic in the Jewish Quarter, so as to preserve the historic value and attractiveness of the area, as well as the quality of life for residents. Over ten million people currently visit the Old City each year, most of them arriving by car or bus.
Removing Street Parking Spots Also on the Table
The option of reserving for the residents all the parking spots on the way from Zion Gate to the Western Wall is also being considered, in coordination with the Jerusalem Municipality.
If this latter option is adopted, there will be no reason for non-residents to drive through the Jewish Quarter other than to drop off visitors, as they will have no place to park. Even if some parking places are left for non-residents along the road, the closing of the for-pay lot will make it very unattractive for drivers to try their luck.
Parking Outside Jaffa Gate
Instead, it is hoped and assumed that the large and relatively cheap parking lots outside Jaffa Gate – with close to 1,000 spots – will become the option of choice for motorists wishing to visit the Old City. A shuttle-bus system is being considered for easy access.
JQDC’s three-pronged parking plan also includes, at a later stage, the turning of the parking-meter parking lot outside Zion Gate into a pay-when-you-return parking area. At a future, as-yet unspecified date, it is hoped that an underground parking lot will be built in the Jewish Quarter.
JQDC's Mission
Owned by the Ministry of Housing, JQDC was established in 1969, after the liberation of Jerusalem and carries out government policy for housing, real estate, and related areas in the Old City of Jerusalem. The company’s objective was to restore the Jewish Quarter – in which 20,000 Jews lived 100 years ago – and to develop it as a unique national, religious, historic and cultural site.
Today, some 600 families live in the Jewish Quarter, which has over 40 schools and yeshivot, dozens of synagogues, institutes, hostels, museums and visitor centers, as well as 100 stores and businesses.
Visit JQDC’s website at <rova-yehudi.org.il/en/index.asp> to learn of many interesting aspects of the Old City of Jerusalem.