Several merchants in the Côte des Neiges are reeling from plans for new dedicated bus lanes to run in front of their stores.
They say the new lane on Queen Mary Road is bad for business.
Barbara Bininski's family has owned the Jack and Jill toy and clothing store in Queen Mary for over 60 years.
She now worries that her store is in danger.
"They are not helping our business. They are taking our livelihood," she said.
A new private lane project will be built on Queen Mary between Cote des Neiges Road and Macdonald Avenue this summer.
The eastern lane of the boulevard will be reserved for buses and taxis during the morning rush hour, while the western lane will be reserved for the afternoon rush hour.
The story continues under the ad
According to the city, the action has reduced the commute time of 8,000 public transit users by nearly seven minutes. It is said that Parking for 40 vehicles is not possible during afternoon congestion.
READ MORE: Côte des Neige merchants demand removal of new terraces
By bus For those who are," said Sandra Kliman, who owns Book Lovers Bookstore.
Climan and Vininsky are one of a group of business owners operating in Queen Mary, west of Decarie, where the lack of parking spaces negatively impacts peak business hours. afraid of They say that if customers can't park in front of the store, they will stop coming to the store and start shopping online.
They say they don't need bus lanes on their side of the street because traffic isn't an issue.
"We understand the need to protect the environment and provide buses and bikes. If you go west in between, you'll have no problem," Kliman said.
A group of merchants met on Tuesday to express their dissatisfaction with the plan.
They believe that there should be no reserved lane on the west side of the Queen He Mary between Decarier and McDonald's.
The story continues under the ad
"Between 3:30 and 6:30 she robbed 40 parking lots. If you do, you're stealing customers," Kliman said.
The owner of her Canteen restaurant in Punjab, Queen Mary, says it's expensive not to park in front of him during rush hour.
Related news
After school. Most parents bring their children and park their cars here,” says Eswar Kosuri, the owner.
He said he was worried that delivery drivers would find it difficult to stop to pick up food and that buses would pass during dinner, making the soon-to-be-installed new terrace set undesirable.
Merchants filed a petition requesting a meeting with the Borough.
Kliman asked for flexibility, but he fears the city has already made a decision.
READ MORE: Recount Confirms Gracia Kasoki Katawa Wins As Cote des Neiges Mayor—NDG
Snowdon City Councilor Sonny Moroz voted in favor of Lane, but wants a compromise. , STM and the city should be there,” he said. "If you want to do big things fast, you have to do them right."
The story continues under the ad
Mayor Gracia Katawa is on vacation. , was unavailable for an interview on the topic, but her administration sent a statement to Global News.
will show flexibility, but the status quo is no longer an option,” read an email sent by spokesperson Alicia Dufour. ``Reserved bus lanes do not start or end in the most difficult areas. It was also described as adding 60 paid parking lots, but merchants said they didn't know where those lots would be.
The city immediately held a meeting with the merchants, stating that STM would go door-to-door to discuss the project.
Related News
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
