New parking restrictions in the name of safety vex Pierrefonds residents

Residents of Pierrefonds-Roxboro who live on Eldor-Daigneault and Wilfrid streets are fuming over the borough’s new parking restrictions.

In the last month, street parking in the residential area has been modified, restricting parking to one side of the street during the day and the other side at night.

A number of longtime residents have been caught off guard by the new restrictions and are paying the price.

“These signs grew out of the ground. We never saw that before in 30 years,” resident Manon Guerin said while waving her $85 parking ticket.

Despite living on the street for three decades, Guerin says she doesn’t feel at home.

“I always hated going downtown Montreal for things like this. I don’t even know how to read those signs,” Guerin said.

The parking signs were installed in early October by the borough in the name of safety, according to borough mayor Jim Beis.

“I understand that folks aren’t happy but we have to prioritize safety on streets,” Beis said.

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Beis says officials acted after receiving complaints from residents in April of last year.

An inspection report found that the street is too narrow to allow parking on either side.

Measuring 9.5 metres, the road must measure at least 11 metres to permit parking, according to the Transport Ministry’s regulations, since a daycare business is situated on the same road.

“We pay the taxes and were prohibited from parking in front of our own home seven days a week,” Frank Bomba resident said.

Bomba is one of a growing number of residents on both streets rallying against the borough’s decision.

So far 100 people have signed a petition calling for a reversal of the parking restrictions.

“People live here 40-45 years and there was never an issue before,” resident Hassen Butt said.

Residents like Bomba and Butt blame the Les Amours de Marie-Claire daycare for the changes.

They say it’s unfair that daycare employees can park on the street, freely taking up spaces, but not residents.

“Employees park here on the street, meantime they have a parking lot that is virtually empty the whole day so the question is, why are we being penalized?” Bomba said.

Jing Zhang, owner of the daycare said she did not want to comment but said many people who are not clients or employees park on the street.

Zhang said the fairly large parking space is meant for parents to use for pickups and drop-offs.

Employees are asked to park on the street.

Bomba argues the employee street parking causes a serious safety issue as drivers park in a tight curve on Eldor-Daigneault street, forcing oncoming drivers to veer into the opposite lane.

“We need to avoid the employees’ cars and we move into the middle of the street. It makes it difficult,” Romba said.

That, paired with what he described as “rushed parents” in the morning, is an accident waiting to happen.

“People pass by here and they go really fast. People have to drop the kids and rush back to work so they are rushed, you know. There’s no patience,” Butt said.

Beis says the borough will look into the complaints.

Residents plan to present their petition of 100 signatures to council after the election.

They add that demonstrations outside borough hall are also planned.

“We want this to change,” Bomba said.