Let’s calm Park Avenue

Local business

Can a friendlier street also be better for business?

Traffic-calming projects often raise concerns among merchants.

Yet many studies, and examples from Quebec and elsewhere, show that a safer, more comfortable and more pleasant street can also become more vibrant commercially.

5 common misconceptions

  1. “We’re going to lose customers because there will be less parking”

    Fears of a drop in customers after traffic-calming or street-redesign measures are generally not borne out by the research1.

    In many cases, business activity holds steady or improves as the street becomes more pleasant and busier with pedestrians.

  2. “My customers all come by car”

    Surveys2 conducted in many cities show that merchants tend to overestimate the share of their customers who arrive by car and to underestimate those who come on foot, by bike or by transit.

  3. “Pedestrians don’t spend”

    Drivers sometimes spend more per visit, but customers who come on foot or by bike generally come back more often.

    In several studies3, their monthly spending is comparable, or even higher.

  4. “Deliveries will become impossible”

    Well-designed traffic-calming projects4 take businesses’ needs into account by keeping access for deliveries, emergency services and other authorized vehicles.

    The goal is to reduce through traffic and improve how the street is shared, not to hurt business activity.

  5. “Maybe it works elsewhere… but not here”

    Studies5 carried out in cities of different sizes and contexts generally reach the same conclusions: streets designed better for pedestrians, cyclists and other users can improve safety and quality of life and, in many cases, sustain or strengthen business activity.

In conclusion

A friendly street is not a street where cars disappear. It is a street where pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, transit riders and merchants share the space better.

Experience in Montreal, elsewhere in Canada, in France, in the United States and beyond shows that a street can be made safer and more welcoming without sacrificing its commercial vitality.