Laurier Ave. merchants say permit parking killing business

Some merchants onLaurierAvenue in the Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood are fed up enough with customers having trouble parking as it is, and they sayit will only get worse with new permit-only parking between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.

Business owners along the street between BrbeufStreetand Papineau Avenue have even taken to putting facetious "for sale" signs in their window directing would-be buyers to the borough office of the Plateau-Mont-Royal.

Merchants said they'retrying tosend a message to the borough that their businesses can't survive if shoppers can't find parking.

"When you have someone who takes the time to take the extra zig-zag to come in, well they have to find extra zig-zag to find parking. So that is the last straw for us," saidOlivierMonfet, whoowns two businesses onLaurierAvenue.

Need for parking

CouncillorMariePlourdesaid she was surprised by the merchants' "for sale" stunt, especially because residents have demonstrated a great need for permit parking.

"We sold over 650 parking stickers,maybe around 700, so there is a need,"Plourdesaid.

She said this stretch of Laurier Avenue was the last in the Plateau to get parking stickers for residents.She also said only threeout of every 10 available spots are affected.

Monfet said the borough got a little overzealous with the parking restrictions after an initial request was made to restrict parking to residents only around Laurier Park.

Meanwhile, at least some residents are happy about the new seven-days-a-week parking rules.

Antoine Simpson said it's been relatively easier to find parking.

"It's been better since we have some permits," he said.