Bicycle race inconvenience

Last Monday and Tuesday's bicycle races were a ridiculous hassle! Therefore I have made a formal complaint to the City. Generally, I am very supportive of activities which take place in our community. I have lived in the Châteauguay area my entire life and I enjoy attending parades and activities which take place here. This activity, however, was nothing but a huge inconvenience. I read the Le Soleil on a regular basis and was well aware of the race route. However, the traffic caused by road closures was another thing altogether! The daycare my daughter attends is 3.5 km from my house and yet I was 30 minutes late to pick her up because of the traffic.

When I attempted to return home via René-Levesque, it took me more than 20 minutes. Once I arrived home on St. Joseph Street, the people stuck in traffic were so frustrated and angry that they refused to let me turn into my own driveway! These closures made it so that there was only one possible way of getting to the west end of Châteauguay. Did anyone consider the residents of that area? Or the residents of Léry, Maple Grove and Beauharnois?

After sitting in traffic to get home on Tuesday night, I decided to go to a restaurant on D'Anjou Blvd. to get supper for my family. Once again this bicycle race caused a hassle. When I politely asked one of the "security officers" if I could cross the street in order to use the drive thru, he told me that "the race is only once a year and to park my car and walk to the restaurant"! The only people who seemed to care in the slightest way about this race were people who appeared to be retired or students. I highly doubt that many people who come home after a long day of work have any desire to sit and watch a lousy bicycle race!

I cannot comprehend who would consider a bicycle race to be important enough to cause road closures during rush hour on Monday and Tuesday evenings! Considering the small number of spectators at this race and the overall attitude of the many drivers who were inconvenienced by this ordeal, I know that I am not alone in feeling angry and annoyed! This is unacceptable! I sincerely hope that when planning events such as this in the future, The City will hold them during a time when it will lessen the inconvenience. Perhaps between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., rather than during rush hour. Or better yet, on a weekend!

Sandra Haydon, Châteauguay

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