A change of signaling raises the ire of merchants

Photo Vincent Larin
The detours imposed on motorists deprives traders of a
crowds in front of their places of business as shown in the map below.

Vincent Larin

Monday, 17 July, 2017 06:30

UPDATE
Monday, 17 July, 2017 06:30

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Of the merchants of the rue Notre-Dame Ouest are angry after learning that the borough plans to transform one-way street “essential” to their stores.

The rue Rose-de-Lima, currently use many of the motorists who come out of the 720, will become a one-way heading north as early as next year, confirmed a spokesperson of the borough of South-West, Denise Paré.

Already struggling with a major work, which substantially reduce the traffic in their stores, traders of the sector are denouncing a decision ” illogical “.

“It really is no matter what, the people who are going to want to go to the Notre-Dame street are going to have to make a huge detour. It is sure that we will incur losses, ” says one of the owners of the librairie Crossover Comics, Ray Silas.

According to him, the establishment of a single meaning in the rue Rose-de-Lima will enclaver the sector. Rose-of-Lima is currently an access to “natural” to the rue Notre-Dame, he adds.

The owner of the Bazaar of Our Lady, John Decade, says it has lost nearly 80 % of its turnover since the beginning of the work in the street. The situation will worsen if the rue Rose-de-Lima becomes a one-way street, according to him.

“Already that people have trouble finding parking, if, in addition, they must make a huge detour to come here, they won’t come at all,” he says.

Security

The borough of Sud-Ouest explains that the change in signaling in the rue Rose-de-Lima is a way to secure the area.

“It is a sector very residential, with a CPE, which are not far away,” explains a spokesperson for the borough, Denise Paré. Currently, people arrive very fast from the highway 720 and spin on the rue Rose-de-Lima. “

She indicates a pot of flowers in cement has also been installed two years ago at the corner of the rue Saint-Jacques, in the aim of forcing motorists to roll less quickly.

Solution

For the founder of the Society for the commercial development of the canal Area, Sébastien Girard, this explanation does not hold the road. “Motorists will use other residential streets to arrive on the rue Notre-Dame, it will only move the problem,” he says.

He also complained that the administration of the district had not attempted to talk to the merchants to find another solution.

“They would have been able to come and talk to us, ask us our opinion, but nothing. And we are put in front of the accomplished fact “, he said.

According to him, the problem may be solved by inverting the one-way, to the rue Notre-Dame.

In April, the mayor of the borough of Sud-Ouest, Benoit Dorais, had said that his administration was the “maximum” to avoid that traders have to close their doors or lose customers, like those of the rue Saint-Denis last summer.

The traders have planned to organize a meeting to prepare their response. It is expected to take place this evening in a room of the Notre-Dame street West. The borough has not been able to confirm that one of its representatives would be on site.