Prioritizing buses over parking on Edmonton's 101st Street will hurt businesses, owners say

Some businesses on 101st Street north of downtown Edmonton say they are concerned that planned changes to bus service — and a resulting loss of street parking — will negatively impact their operations.

The City of Edmonton is working to improve public transit efficiency, including the implementation of bus lanes on busy roads, set to be installed starting this summer, into 2026.

The planned changes include a dedicated transit lane on the southbound side of 101st Street, between Kingsway and 107th Avenue. On-street parking on 101st Street "will be affected," the city said in a statement to CBC News.

"The city is implementing these changes to operations on 101 Street, aiming to reduce delays for people who rely on transit to travel to and from Chinatown and the improve transit downtown core every day," the statement said.

"Since 101 Street is a major artery for over 20,000 vehicles daily, dedicating space for buses helps improve travel times for everyone by increasing overall roadway capacity, minimizing conflicts with on-street parking during peak hours and optimizing signal timing."

The city said alternative parking options for customers include on-site parking, nearby parking lots and on-street parking on adjacent roads, including 107th Avenue and 108th Avenue. On-street parking on 101st Street southbound will be permitted after 7 p.m.

The businesses, including popular spots like Padmanadi, Thanh Thanh, Fukienese and Freecloud Records say they are worried that the plan to remove vital parking spaces could deter customers, especially those attending events at nearby Rogers Place.     

"Eliminating street parking along 2½ blocks of 101st Street is not going to improve the time of people taking the bus," said Richard Liukko, owner of Freecloud Records.

The busy roadway is just inside the western boundary of the Business Improvement Area for Chinatown. Liukko sits on the board of the Chinatown Business Association.

"We are not against the implementation of efficient transit in Edmonton," he said.

"We're just saying in this case, this is a commercial business district. It has been since the 1920s. So why is the city making it harder for people to access the area?"  

The businesses will still have their on-site parking, but owners argue that on-street parking spaces are often used by individuals seeking a safe, convenient place to park while they dine at local restaurants before attending an event. 

Removing these parking spots could lead to a decline in foot traffic, they say, making it harder for businesses already struggling in a challenging economic environment.

"We have a lot of senior clientele; those are the first people I thought of," said Albert, kitchen manager at Padmanadi, a family-owned vegan Indonesian restaurant.

"It's going to be harder for people with mobility limitations to get in and out of our restaurants." 

Albert is from Indonesia, where it is common for some people to only have one name.

Business people also expressed frustration over the lack of consultation from the city prior to proceeding with the plan. 

The city said it has been engaging with the public for feedback, but several business owners claim they were not properly notified or consulted about the bus lane plans. Instead, they were informed through a notice sent only to property owners.

Sandy Pon, co-founder and chair of the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative Society of Edmonton, said the notification period was not sufficient. 

"Just based on the feedback from our community, they got the notice quite suddenly and they didn't really have time to react or talk to each other," Pon said in an interview.

"Those businesses should talk to their business improvement associations such as the Chinatown BIA and the Downtown Business Association, but they didn't have enough time to talk about how they will be impacted, especially those who are just coming back into the fold after the pandemic."

The restaurants and retail shops say there are better ways the city could implement the plan, reiterating the importance of being consulted. 

"There is already a no-parking, no-stopping restriction in front of the restaurant between 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.," said Albert at Padmanadi. "I think that works just fine, because it's peak hours and I understand that people have to get home and elsewhere. But extending it from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. is going to affect us."

Pon echoed similar sentiments for a possible solution that addresses both the transit needs and considers the concerns of businesses.

"What they could have done is just add more buses, add more trip schedules if there is a need. Until the buses are filled at all hours of the day, you're just taking away room for normal vehicles to travel and get out of the area faster," she said. 

City administration says it remains committed to its goal of improving transit efficiency and reducing traffic congestion. 

"The design process has taken into account and minimized potential impacts on adjacent properties, for example by avoiding the removal of parking in areas where parking availability is already limited," the city statement said.