Verdun bike path elicits mixed emotions as pilot project draws to a close

A bike path that irked many business owners in Verdun will close down next month, but will return next year.

About 275 parking spots disappeared to make way for the controversial, three-kilometre route that runs along Verdun Street.

The pilot project will end Nov. 1, after which the borough will hold a meeting to solicit feedback from residents and business owners.

"It's a big change for Verdun, that's why it's a pilot project. It was really important to us to listen to citizens and have a consultation," said borough Mayor Jean-François Parenteau.

Émilie Sirois, co-owner of Bagel St-Lo, said some drivers had trouble finding parking spots, but the bike path brought more people to the western part of Verdun during the summer.

"Wellington Street is pretty busy already, but this side of Verdun is getting more and more busy, and we saw people take their bikes [on the bike path] because it's close to downtown," she said.

Farra Allice, walking out of the shop with a bag full of fresh bagels, said she noticed the same.

"I feel like it's more encouraging to shop in your area ... I really do all my shopping on my bike, with my knapsack."

At DJ Coiffeur, hairdresser Josée Denis said many customers stopped coming over the parking woes.

She said a solution could be to make the street one-way for car traffic, which would make more room for parking spots.

The public consultation will be held at the end of November.

The final statistics on how many people used the path will come once the project wraps up, but Parenteau said hundreds of people used the path every day.

Parenteau said some improvements will be made for next year, including short-term parking on the side of the road and new rules around parking when someone is moving or having something delivered.