This article was previously published on GuelphToday
Cycling in Downtown Guelph is set to get safer.
On Tuesday evening, city council unanimously approved the inclusion of protected bike lanes along Wyndham Street North during an upcoming reconstruction project.
The bike lanes are part of the overall design concept endorsed for the road between Carden and Woolwich streets. There is to be one lane of traffic heading in each direction, along with parallel parking on both sides of the road.
Of course, that’s after aging underground infrastructure is replaced and/or upgraded beginning in 2026.
Several members of council sought assurances from city staff the public will be consulted again as the project moves ahead, especially during the project’s upcoming detailed design stage.
“We’ve got lots of work to do. A decision’s got to be made (on the concept) and then we’ll get to that detail,” said CAO Scott Stewart, who noted the project’s study process was already underway when he was hired by the city in 2015. “There will be lots of time for you to come out to those open houses and sessions to work through all of this.”
Decisions regarding beautification plans – including the types of materials used, placement of benches, tree plantings and more – as well as potential phasing of the work, are to be held in April and June.
The design concept, which was recommended by city staff, follows a public consultation process that saw several options short-listed and sent out for public input late last spring. Each of the others also featured a single lane of traffic in each direction.
One of them would see angled parking remain on one side of the street, with motor vehicles and cyclists sharing the road without separation. Another includes a bi-directional bike lane on one side of the road.
Chuck Nash, chair of the Downtown Guelph Business Association, was registered to speak to council prior to its vote, but withdrew ahead of his presentation.
However, he spoke out against the inclusion of protected bike lanes when the matter was discussed earlier this month during council’s committee of the whole meeting. Nash encouraged council to essentially maintain the road as it is, without bike lanes and angled parking on one side.
This, he said, would allow for more space to accommodate beautification and pedestrian space.
“We have to provide an experience that is compelling enough to visit downtown. That experience must consider, and be geared toward, pedestrians first and foremost.”
Rather than protected bike lanes, Nash called for “big, beautiful sidewalks” to enhance the downtown experience.
The approved design concept, which was recommended by city staff, follows a public consultation process that saw several options short-listed and sent out for public input late last spring. Each of the others also featured a single lane of traffic in each direction.
One of them would see angled parking remain on one side of the street, with motor vehicles and cyclists sharing the road without separation. Another includes a bi-directional bike lane on one side of the road.
Also approved on Tuesday was the design concept for a rebuilt St. George’s Square, which is essentially to leave it as it is, with some operational changes and the inclusion of protected bike lanes.
The scope of the downtown revitalization project, which includes the Wyndham Street work, was downgraded to “good” from “great” as part of a cost-saving effort in the 2024 to 2027 budget finalized by council last year. Numerous projects were altered and deferred in order to remove $693.7 million from the spending plan.
That, deputy CAO Jayne Holmes explained at the time, largely involves removing streetscaping aspects of the project such as widened sidewalks, benches and trees.
“It’s essentially what you see on the street – whether it’s super fancy or it’s essentially what you have now,” said Holmes. “What we’d love to do is to make the downtown the heart of our city, to make it a destination place.”
A report on those downsized options is to be presented to council for consideration this spring.
