Business has slowed down in the last few weeks for several shops along Atatekan Street, where a new temporary bike lane has replaced on-street parking. At Espace Vintage, owner Andre Biesiada says the change has already had a major impact. “We’re losing money. I’m losing clients,” he said, noting that only three customers came in all day Tuesday — something he says has never happened before. Biesiada believes the new bike lane is to blame because his customers now have nowhere to park. “We are not Amsterdam. We are in Quebec, Montreal,” he said. According to the City of Montreal, the bike lane on Atatekan is meant to be temporary while construction on Berri Street blocks another route. However, the detour could remain in place for years — a timeline business owners say is unacceptable. Chantal Nasrallah, who owns the dry-cleaning shop Le Génie de l’Aiguille, says most of her customers drive and need quick access to her store. “We are not against a bike road in general, but we are against a bike road on Atatekan,” she said. “People cannot stop. Some are stopping on the bike road, which is not legal. In these two weeks, we’ve lost customers.” Nasrallah has started a petition asking the city to remove the bike lane. In just one week, it has gathered more than 700 signatures. One of the first to sign was Aimee Nzie, owner of the new African restaurant La Cuisine Aimee. She says the timing of the change has made an already difficult start even harder. “It’s very hard for me now. I don’t know what to do,” she said. With rent topping $2,000 a month, Nzie says several days have gone by without a single customer. “When they come, they want to park. They drive around, can’t find anything, and then they leave.” In a statement, the city said it is consulting with all parties and “working on a solution that takes the needs of the entire neighbourhood into account,” promising an update in the coming days. Meanwhile, business owners say they’re anxiously waiting — and hoping for changes soon.
