Parc-Extension Residents Concerned About Losing Parking Spaces to Bike Paths

On September 14th, 2023, the not-for-profit organization Brique par Brique hosted a public townhall on the city's recent announcement on bike lanes. A week prior, during a council meeting for the borough of Parc Extension, the city of Montreal announced that it intended on removing 250 parking spaces to extend and improve some bike paths in the borough.

The public discussion was animated by Faiz Abhuani, the founder of Brique par Brique, and Lidia Iarotsky of L'Atelier Culture Bike. Around 20 residents gathered in the space to partake in the conversation and share their opinion. 

During the discussion, many of the citizens present, emphasized that they did not have an issue with the bike lanes being revamped, but rather the parking spaces being removed.

One resident said they thought a four seasons bike path was unnecessary as only a minority of residents and cyclists would use it.

Others resident agreed and brought up that replacing parking spaces with bike paths would lead to even more division between bikers and car drivers, especially considering that the project was proposed by individuals who do not live in the borough. The plans for the project are being designed without the locals' input, but many of the residents say that they are disappointed by the level of consultation.

One person even emphasized that bike lanes in replacing parking spots, were a gateway to the area being gentrified. A lot of the residents of Parc Extension are working class. Many of them have an office job or work in factories far from their homes, as well as have children that go to school outside of the city. Removing parking spaces and amenities for car drivers would push those families out of Montreal. In turn, the cost of living in Montreal would rise, the citizen said.

Another issue brought up was accessibility. One resident mentioned that having access to a car, a home and parking spaces for people whose mobility is reduced is a basic need. Removing 250 parking spaces would endanger those needs for many, especially in a borough where the population is quite dense.