Pedestrian streets: not a panacea
Pedestrianization of streets is not a one-size-fits-all response to the pandemic, some streets thriving better than others with the change. Maybe they need more clowns.
I rarely link Bill Brownstein, but it’s typical that in this otherwise decent piece on a longtime downtown bartender quitting after 39 years because business has dried up, that he has to drag in the shortage of parking as a key problem. People are not going downtown to drink because they can’t park, they’re not going downtown to drink because they know it’s risky. Like people found plenty of parking along Ste‑Catherine Street in the before times, you know? Anyway, people shouldn’t drink and drive, so that should be moot.
DeWolf 09:19 on 2020-08-18 Permalink
I’m not sure why people are mystified that the downtown lunch crowd has disappeared when the vast majority of office workers are staying home. It’s as if people still can’t get it through their heads that there’s a pandemic going on…
Kate 09:33 on 2020-08-18 Permalink
My impression is that some people blame Plante for not making it more attractive for people to go downtown to shop, eat and drink. But most people who shopped, ate and drank downtown did so because they were already there, for work or for classes.
Ephraim 09:36 on 2020-08-18 Permalink
Plenty of clowns available, but can you get them back into bright coloured camo pants and to wear red noses?
Chris 09:36 on 2020-08-18 Permalink
It’s the Gazette, they are contractually obligated to whine about the lack of unlimited and free parking. 🙂
Kate 10:03 on 2020-08-18 Permalink
It really is a reflex with them, Chris. Probably because they know 90% of their readership lives in the West Island and drives everywhere.
Kevin 14:03 on 2020-08-18 Permalink
Was it only last month that Plante asked people to drive downtown and go shopping?
In any case, I’m not going to walk around St. Laurent – I don’t live there. I’ll walk around my own neighbourhood.