NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF GUELPH
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The City is exploring sustainable options for transportation infrastructure as part of the Transportation Master Plan and is asking for community input to help guide the conversation.
From Sept. 13-20, 2019, Woolwich Street between Macdonell and Wyndham streets will be transformed into a complete street: a safe, accessible and sustainable road design that accommodates all modes of transportation including walking, driving, cycling, and public transit. A temporary two-way protected bike lane will replace the parking lane on the south side of Woolwich Street, and bicycle cross rides will be temporarily added to the intersections at Macdonell and Wyndham streets to help users get into and out of the protected bike lane safely.
“Planning for the future of transportation in Guelph gives us an exciting opportunity to reimagine the way we distribute road space to ensure all road users can move around our city freely,” says Terry Gayman, acting general manager of Engineering and Transportation Services. “Our Community Plan tells us that active, sustainable transportation is important for our community, and testing this complete street concept on one of our vibrant downtown roads allows us to collect real-time feedback about one potential solution to meet our evolving transportation needs.”
City staff will host an event to celebrate the opening of the temporary bike lane on Friday, Sept. 13 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. outside of the Sleeman Centre at 50 Woolwich Street. All are welcome to enjoy refreshments, live music and free bike tune-ups and to share feedback about the complete street concept. In the event of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Monday, September 16.
The Transportation Master Plan is built on the vision outlined in Guelph’s Community Plan and aligns with the six core values defined in the Official Plan:
- Safety for all road users
- Equitable access to jobs, services and housing, regardless of the chosen mode of transportation
- Multi-modal connectivity to ensure all areas of the city are connected by diverse forms of transportation
- Environmental sustainability to respect the natural environment and achieve a net-zero carbon future by 2050
- Tied to land use to put people and jobs where there are choices for transportation
- Financially sustainable to respect taxpayers and allocate resources responsibly
City staff expects to present the updated Transportation Master Plan for Council’s consideration in summer 2020.
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