A business owner in the Exchange District is fuming over a recent parking ticket. Lennard Taylor owns a design shop on McDermot Ave. He said the city took away most of the parking near his business for a bike lane, which makes it difficult for him to load and unload shop supplies. Taylor said because of the changes, he’s been forced to load in the back lane but recently while doing so, he got a parking ticket. “There’s absolutely no other way I can park my vehicle and load in my vehicle. I’m loading in lots of heavy fabric,” said Taylor. “There’s nowhere else I can load in. That’s where my loading dock is for my back door. What do people expect me to do? What does the city expect us businesses to do?” Taylor said business has suffered ever since some parking in the area was turned into bike lanes, as customers don’t want to walk blocks to go to a business. In an email to CTV News the City of Winnipeg said under the Winnipeg Parking Bylaw, no vehicle may be parked in an alley for more than 15 minutes, and on-street loading zones in the Exchange District are also limited to 15 minutes. Regarding this area in particular, the city said loading zone relocation was a component of adjustable protected bike lanes implemented in the neighbourhood last fall. “While some loading spaces were lost, many that were identified as high-need and high-traffic were moved either across the street or around the corner to ensure that businesses maintained access within a reasonable proximity to their properties,” said a city spokesperson. “Back lanes continue to be an option for business owners, within the parameters of the Winnipeg Parking Bylaw.” The city said the Public Works Department is actively looking at solutions to address loading and parking issues in the area, and will continue to respond to feedback from area businesses and residents.
