By Pepper Parr
May 29th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
When the pandemic did serious damage to the hospitality sector in Burlington City Council did everything it could to ease the financial burden. The Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) lobbied fiercely and the ward 2 Councillor did everything she could to help.
One of the solutions was to change the rules that applied to sidewalk patios – allow for more of them and make them as wide as possible.
What was sidewalk space has become patio space. The result is a narrowing of the traffic lane capacity.
The result of those decisions can be seen with the changes made to Lakeshore Road either side of Brant Street.
The interests of people who want to drive on Lakeshore and the interests of the restaurant owners are colliding. Are there solutions? Because there are certainly problems.
This part of the city, between Locust and Brant is very popular, people want to be outdoors and the restaurant operators want as much space as they can get.
During numerous delegations to City Council the restaurant operators explained how the financial dynamics of their sector of the economy have changed – they needed help and the city did as much as they felt they could.
This was the amount of patio space restaurants between Brant and Locust had before the increase in sidewalk patios. The increase in patio space is well over 50%. The price of that space is gridlock at least until we all ride bicycles.
Are there solutions? Is anyone at city hall addressing this issue? Does city hall see it as an issue? Don’t expect the Mayor or the ward 2 Councillor to say a word. Are they hoping the problem will just go away?
It will be interesting to see what traffic looks like during Sound of Music, which is just weeks away.
Editor: How would I locate this article in the Burlington Gazette re the liabilty insurance. Two million in liability insurance is extremely low. Either way, if there was an injury, the City of Burlington as well as the restaurant owner would both be named as defendants in the action.
Editor’s Note: Use the search engine.
These road side patios are a financial liability for the City of Burlington as well. If someone is injured on these sidewalks, which are owned by and the responsibility of the City of Burlington, the City will be sued. i.e. a Slip & fall or Trip & falls etc.
What arrangements are in place with these restaurant owners in regards to their own Liability Insurance?? for the City of Burlington??
Editor’s note:
The restaurateurs are required to prove they have at least $2 million in liability insurance. The city was asking that they provide $5 million. This was all published in the Gazette
Elgin Street is a good alternative.
This is insanity, not to mention unsafe.
The thought of sitting outside having a meal on an outdoor patio and only feet away from passing vehicles is not appealing. I fear that someone is going to go barreling through here one night and end up having an accident. How the City is even permitting these patios is beyond me.
I drive past these patios on almost a daily basis, they are a tragedy waiting to happen. Rarely do I see them anywhere near capacity and most of the time empty. Would love to see some numbers, ie average occupancy rates by time of day. I suspect a lot of traffic interruption for a couple hours of high occupancy on selected dates, concurrent with low occupancy of indoor tables.
Driving on Lakeshore Road at certain times has always been a disaster.
The reduction of traffic lanes to accommodate these patios makes a bad situation untenable.
I never understood the desire of people to be sitting on the road with the traffic exhaust and the possibility of a car or bus careening into them.
If restaurants are suffering at this time I doubt it is a result of Covid 19. Many families can no longer afford to eat out. The restaurant prices are exorbitant and many are now insisting on an 18% gratuity that appears on their bill.
I am surprised that it is even legal.Isn’t this still hwy 2 a provincial highway.If not I am sure it would have been illegal back then.What proof is there that the restaurants are still suffering from the Covid impact?