Downtown Edmonton business owners warn removing parking would threaten accessibility

Businesses on 101 Street in downtown Edmonton are calling out the city’s plan to remove street parking in favour of a dedicated transit lane, saying it will make it harder for people to get to their stores.

Richard Liukko is part of a group of business owners along 101 Street between Kingsway and 107 Avenue speaking out about Edmonton’s plan.

“We’re hoping that they change their plan because spending potentially millions of dollars to expedite two blocks, after they already built the light rail transit and there’s only one bus that goes along here,” said Liukko.

Liukko feels his business will suffer without a parking lot out front. Moreover, with a nearby high school and Rogers Place, parking is already limited.

“We have people who can’t use public transit, people coming in from out of town, people with time constraints, mobility-impaired people, and that lack of access will really hurt access to our businesses,” said Liukko.

Customers at Freecloud Records told CityNews less parking impacts their shopping habits.

“When we lose more parking, it just means that people don’t want to go out of their way to stop in at the business — it drastically affects small businesses,” said Corinna Aikins, who is also a small business owner.

“On Whyte Ave. we had construction in front of our business on and off for two years. There was a gaping hole by the door. How do you rebound from that? said Aikins. “We also have a store close to Stony Plain Road that was closed down for a couple of years. I get the city needs to grow and change — but I think it gives very little mind to the small businesses that are affected.”

CityNews reached out to the City of Edmonton’s transportation planning and design department for a response to the claims of business owners in the area.

In a statement, they say they’ve heard concerns from business owners and are looking at ways to mitigate parking restrictions.

“The city plan requires that we treat our curbsides and public parking as strategic public assets,” they say. “Curbside management is a critical building block in helping to achieve more equitable, affordable and efficient modes of transportation for all.”

The city heard from transit riders that on-time performance is a priority, and they say these proposed changes will improve both on-time performance and efficiency.

Liukko and other business owners in the area say they are frustrated by a lack of consultation with the City of Edmonton on the changes. Liukko said he didn’t know about the construction until he saw construction workers outside his store.

“When we had consulted with the city about what was going on, they got in touch with us and essentially apologized for failing to include us in the public consultation,” said Liukko.

The City of Edmonton also responded to business owners’ concerns that they will be looking at ways to minimize parking disruption in areas where it’s limited.