Guelph City Council voted unanimously in favour of a pair of motions on Monday aimed at making Guelph’s outdoor spaces a little safer.
The first one sailed through an online afternoon council meeting: Ward 5 councillor Cathy Downer’s broad-ranging motion that city staff be directed to prepare a plan and possible funding for measures that will enhance physical distancing in outdoor public spaces as a phased-in return to activities begins to take place.
The second one also passed unanimously, but not without some discussion.
That one was Ward 2 councillor James Gordon’s motion that staff look at options at implementing some additional physical distancing measures at so-called “pinch points” where vehicular traffic prevents pedestrian and bicycle traffic from maintaining the recommended physical distancing.
Places like the bridge on Eramosa Road just east of downtown has been mentioned several times.
“It’s really hard to observe that distancing without stepping on the street or into a bike lane,” said Gordon, cautioning that the plan wasn’t to close any roads.
“This is not a war on cars. It’s a war on the virus,” Gordon said, adding that it would help adhere to Public Health guidelines, something Mayor Cam Guthrie reiterated in expressing his support of the motion.
Council agreed to spend $45,000 from an unlikely-to-be-used council training and conference budget on a temporary and trial project that would see enhanced traffic cones to help pedestrians pass one another more safely where needed. Staff will look for appropriate spots with public input.
That might include limiting some lanes of traffic.
The initiative will be implemented as soon as possible.
There were several delegates, most in support of Gordon’s motion, but also Marty Williams, executive director of the Downtown Guelph Business Association, who was concerned about any measures that would curtail business activity downtown.
