“It's a mess!” : Henri-Bourassa traders breathless due to construction sites

Roadblocks blocking their delivery space, parking and loss of customers… Stuck at the Reso Express Velo construction site, rue Henri-Bourassa traders are frustrated by having to put up with their poorly planned work. Municipality.

Orange cones are ubiquitous on Boulevard Henri-Bourassa in the Ahamsic-Cartierville sector. Parking spaces have become scarce on this important artery, but the Reso Express Velo construction site is in full swing. This is a very real problem for traders in the region, who have condemned the Plante administration for not listening to their plight.

Alexandre Moranville-Ouellette/Agency QMI

“Many times I have spotted a vehicle belonging to construction site employees in my area reserved for deliveries. We get loads of glass here that weigh thousands of pounds. Now that there is no parking space in front of my business, we are not going to ask suppliers to travel on foot! », condemned Martin Gris, owner of Vitrerie Saint-Andre, at the microphone of Benoît Dutriac on QUB Radio.

Alexandre Moranville-Ouellette/Agency QMI

Like other traders interviewed by QUB Radio during their visit, Ms. Grise also requested the district administration not to set up a reserved lane for buses during peak hours to park the parking spaces for the users. Unfortunately, this request was ignored.

“It's very poorly thought out. They know what they're going to do and they never take our opinion into account, but we're the ones who pay the taxes. At the moment, I've lost 25% of my income since the start of the work,” laments Louis Salan, owner of the L'Œuforie Matinale restaurant.

Alexandre Moranville-Ouellette/Agency QMI

This drop in revenue, combined with this year's increase in municipal taxes, has forced the restaurant to drop its Quebec suppliers and forced two of its employees into unemployment. Mr. Salan now has to shop at Costco, unable to find a more affordable option.

Customers are also gone

Retailers are not the only ones who are frustrated by this situation. During QUB Radio's visit to Italian sandwich shop Tonino's, an Uber Eats driver broke into the establishment and went on a rampage against the work.

“It's really pathetic, nothing is planned for Uber drivers and the police don't care if we park for a second for food. We get fined for doing our job,” denied the driver, who preferred to remain anonymous to avoid professional repercussions.

Alexandre Moranville-Ouellette/Agency QMI

Anthony Boxell, owner of Tonino's, was equally dismayed. His restaurant opened a month before work began on the boulevard, he did not expect such disruptions in his first year of operations. He was particularly critical of the city's lack of support and communication, as no municipal employee came to take the pulse of traders.

For him, as for many, all that remains is to hope that the task does not exceed the spring 2025 deadline.