The City of Guelph encouraged everyone to get on their bikes and go for a ride at the sixth annual Guelph Bike Month kick-off event on Saturday.
The event, which signifies the start of Bike Month 2023, brought out several bike-related vendors, musical entertainment from Nathan Coles, also known as Hellion Ton, food and beverages, as well a number of fun and interactive bike-focused activities.
Supporters at the kick-off included members from the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation, The Freehub Community Bike Centre, Tour de Guelph, and the City of Guelph.
Mayor Cam Guthrie opened the event and encouraged residents to take advantage of the many options available when it comes to 'getting around Guelph'.
“With our infrastructure in the city, one of the real attractions is that is we are now giving people more choice as to how they use transportation within the city,” Guthrie said.
“No longer are they having to always default to a private automobile.”
Guthrie said that with added trail networks, separated bicycle infrastructure, and other bicycle paths around the city, people now have more options and can choose new methods of transportation.
“They can leave their cars at home and safely be able to move around the city,” Guthrie said.
“Today, I saw families on bikes and I saw people coming to this event. So, it shows that this really is growing.”
Guthrie said the Guelph's Transportation Master Plan focuses on the future of transportation and is not reliant on the personal automobile.
“We simply don’t have the space to continue to have widened and new roads. And biking, it’s just the environmentally friendly thing to do,” Guthrie said.
“We have 13 km of new bicycle infrastructure coming to the city. And with three separate bicycle infrastructure projects happening in the next few years, that will be a game changer.”
Coming up this year, the city will be adding new multi paths on Silvercreek Parkway, north of the city, and new bumper bike lanes from Willow St. to Paisley Rd. on the south end of Silvercreek.
“All of Silvercreek Parkway will be completely connected from the south end to the north end by the end of this year,” said Jennifer Juste, transportation planning manager at the city.
Bike lanes will also be extended on York Rd.
“And we are also adding new bicycle signals. Stone Rd. and Gordon St. saw the first signal, but there is also one coming to be Neeve St. and Wellington Street, so everyone can use the trail on that side safely.
A new bicycle signal will also be added at the intersection of Woolwich Street and Speedvale Ave.
“We are really excited to be investing in cycle safety and making cycling more comfortable and convenient,” Juste said.
With many organizations hosting events this month, Guthrie says he hopes residents will support them as well as local bike shops across the city.
“Studies show that those who choose bicycles are healthier and it makes communities bond,” Guthrie said.
“We will continue to invest in these really important projects.”
Various events will be taking place in celebration of Bike Month including the Love your Bike Festival on June 17 at St. Andrew’s Church, the 10th annual Tour de Guelph on June 25, an e-bike community event on June 20,
Guelph residents are also invited to participate in the Bike Month Bingo contest from June 1-30.
For more information and a list of Bike Month events, visit here.
