Reflective bollards, cement blockers and a fresh coat of paint have been added to the now separated bike lane along Gordon Street.
Early Friday morning, construction workers installed the new safety measures between Fountain Street and Wellington Street.
To accommodate the new barriers, the bike lane was also widened to about two metres.
Jennifer Juste, manager of transportation planning for the City of Guelph, said construction crews will return Saturday morning to install a few final pieces to the bike lane, which are currently curing for 24 hours. The work is expected to wrap up tomorrow by 9 a.m.
"It's pretty exciting to have this installed," said Juste, mentioning this is the first time the city has installed this type of infrastructure.
"We do hope the added visibility will reduce the risk of collision."
Juste explains Gordon Street is one of the hot spots for traffic conflict in the city and they are still seeing incidents happen. In October 2019, a cyclist was hit on Gordon St. while a vehicle attempted to turn left into a McDonald's.
"Physical, protected bike lanes do decrease the rate of collision," she said.
She adds cyclists who see protected, physical barriers between a bike lane and the road may also feel more comfortable using it.
Because these barriers are new, Juste warns cyclists to be alert as vehicles will still be able to access all amenities along that section of the street. Cars should also continue to use caution when driving in that area.
