Grosvenor businesses fear hit from loss of parking spaces due to Winnipeg Transit overhaul
City removes parking spaces to accommodate new bus stops in transit overhaul launching next month
A group of businesses at a busy Winnipeg intersection are worried about how the removal of parking spaces around their stores to accommodate new bus stops could impact their bottom lines.
The change is part of a major overhaul to the Winnipeg Transit system, coming into effect on June 29, that will mean significant changes to most routes and where those buses stop.
At the intersection of Grosvenor Avenue and Stafford Street, the existing four bus stops will be replaced with three new ones, the city said in a statement.
Christopher Atkinson, owner of Lilac Bakery on Grosvenor, told CBC one of those new stops would be right outside his business. However, to accommodate the change, at least five parking spaces will be removed.
"We were relying on [the parking] for business.… It's quite a big loss," he said. "Cars would turn over quite often, and everybody used it."
A city spokesperson said while some spaces will be removed in front of Lilac Bakery, a nearby bus stop will be removed in the overhaul, and new parking spaces will be added there, roughly a 20-metre walk from the bakery.
Transit estimates a "net parking loss of zero parking spaces," the spokesperson said.
But Atkinson said often, customers won't come inside if they don't find parking right outside the business.
Boosting foot traffic and transit use is important, but "unfortunately, we're still a car culture," he said.
"I know this is their objective, and I do appreciate that … but I think they really needed to look at the business community first."
Atkinson found out about the changes on Friday, when city crews installed "no parking" signs. He said there was no consultation with his business on the street reconfiguration, or direct communication from the city.
"It kind of blindsided [me]," Atkinson said.
Change 'sounds miniscule' but has big impact: business owner
The bakery and other businesses at the intersection faced a similar challenge in December, when sewer work left them without parking for three weeks longer than originally planned.
In a letter sent to Mayor Scott Gillingham and two city councillors, Atkinson and other business owners said they lost thousands of dollars during the holiday season due to the lack of parking spaces.
The businesses were built with the parking spaces in mind and needed them to survive, the letter said.
Six businesses signed the letter, including Cassandra Carreiro's café and cocktail bar Sharecuterie, which, like Atkinson's bakery, relies on street parking.
When there have been obstructions, "it's hard for us to park, it's hard for deliveries," said Carreiro.
While the city said there won't be a net loss of spaces, customers rely on convenience, and even walking a few metres more can deter someone from coming in, she said.
"Taking away five or six spots, it sounds miniscule, but really, we've seen how much it impacts people wanting to come down to this area," said Carreiro.
Like Atkinson and Carreiro, Shira Wood, the manager and a long-time employee of Girl Candy Shop on Grosvenor, said her clothing store wasn't involved in any consultation with the city about the changes.
Wood became aware when word spread among store owners last week, but she would have liked to have had notice from the city so she could let her customers know about the changes.
"It's disappointing," she said.
The parking situation around the area has always been a challenge, she said, and she fears congestion from new bus routes might make that worse, and change the feeling of the neighbourhood.
Wood wants the city to consult businesses at the intersection to explore solutions for street parking, but she isn't holding her breath that will happen, she said.
Atkinson hopes the decision can be reversed altogether.
"I've been a business owner for 17 years. Parking has always been a challenge," she said. "But [the decision] just needs to change."
With files from Matt Humphrey and Faith Fundal