Cyclists and pedestrians continue to fear for their safety around the McDonald’s restaurant driveway on Gordon Street in downtown. Despite recently installed signage and concrete separators, many drivers still block the bike lane and sidewalk as they wait for drive-thru service.
“The changes had good intentions,” said Coun. Leanne Caron, calling the measures “ineffective.”
“Our staff are looking at multiple solutions and they are discussing what is going to be the most effective next phase for this. Obviously the signage has not done what we expected it to do, so we have to look at other traffic solutions.”
The issue is not a new one, but city officials were hoping reflective bollards and cement blockers installed on Friday, along with a fresh coat of green paint for the bike lane, would help address the problem.
During a 15-minute period on Tuesday morning, from 11:45 a.m. to noon, GuelphToday observed 13 vehicles block the bike lane, sidewalk or both as they stopped to wait for the drive-thru line to move ahead. Among them was a City of Guelph bylaw enforcement vehicle which waited to pull in past the bike lane but stopped on the sidewalk.
In addition, during that time a police officer turned on his flashing lights and stopped to warn one driver about their behaviour.
*NEW* Safer cycling on Gordon Street. PLEASE don't block lane waiting in line and check right shoulder before entering drive-thru. Egg McMuffins are nice, but not as important as the life of that kid on a bike. #bikesafe pic.twitter.com/pT8jHrmCGT
— Leanne Caron - Ward 5 Guelph (@ward5leanne) September 11, 2021
The problem is threefold, Caron suggested. It’s the result of the drive-thru being grandfathered in and permitted in a location it would not be approved for today, combined with a pandemic-inspired increase in demand for drive-thru business and the social issue of “drive-thru culture.”
She believes most people who block the bike lane or sidewalk likely don’t do it intentionally, but rather think the drive-thru line will move ahead more than it does or more quickly than it does.
As staff consider options, Caron and others are calling for increased police enforcement at the restaurant entrance, which she acknowledges is “not an ideal solution” because of the difficulty in having a police officer present throughout the day.
Const. Kyle Grant, community resource officer, confirmed that’s not a likely scenario but stressed police are on the road around the clock monitoring driver behaviour and enforcing the rules of the road. He said police are aware of the situation and urge everyone to obey the law.
As for longer-term solutions, Caron would like to see several considered. They include raising the entrance off Gordon to make it more clear to drivers they’re no longer on a roadway; a no-stopping provision along that section of road; elimination of the left-turn lane for vehicles travelling north and potentially removing the Gordon Street access point entirely.
“We can’t tell McDonald’s they have to close their drive-thru, but we do have the ability to control how traffic flows into that site,” said Caron. “It is a public roadway. It is not a drive-thru lane.
“It’s a very complex issue,” she added, noting she doesn’t want to see the problem simply shifted to Wellington Road or Surrey Street. “There’s always a domino effect.”
In a statement from McDonald’s franchisee Jennifer Antolin said the safety of the community, customers and staff is a “primary” concern.
“We have been working closely with the City of Guelph to install two signs on the sidewalk. We also designed and installed our own signage in our drive-thru, inviting our guests to be mindful of the bike lane,” she said via email. “We are in constant communication with the City of Guelph and hoping to see changes coming soon. In the meantime, we encourage guests, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to remain aware, alert, and courteous to each other.”
A long-term solution needs to be identified and implemented as soon as possible, said Caron.
“This is not something that can wait until the next budget cycle … Our traffic engineering staff are empowered to implement solutions as soon as possible, especially when public safety is at stake.”
