GCAT 2018 Year in Review

Ward 1 discussion after Ride the Ward ride.

Ride the Ward bike ride with Ward 5 candidates

2018 was a great year for Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation!  We worked hard to support and encourage citizens who want to bike and walk in Guelph. Here are some highlights of the work that we have done this year. Please support our membership drive for 2019 so that we can continue to work hard for Guelph citizens to make Guelph a leading city for Active Transportation!

Advocacy

• formed a coalition with other stakeholder groups to get staff and city council to reverse decision on cancelling Speedvale Bridge Underpass project. Again!!! Helped to organize delegates (7!) and letter writers (50!) and petitioned (420 names!) to reach this end
• Organized “Ride the Ward Rides” which encouraged municipal candidates to ride their wards with the general public. Very well attended in all 6 wards.
• We asked all Municipal candidates to answer Questionnaire about how to get people moving around Guelph more actively. Well thought out responses by all participants.
• City of Guelph’s Transportation Demand Coordinator, Benita Van Miltenburg to spoke about cycling in Guelph at our second Annual General Meeting
• Hosted Book Launch at the E-Bar, Building a Cycling City, book by Chris and Melissa Bruntlett. Over 100 people attended.
• Hosted discussion at the E-Bar after Why We Cycle movie at the Bookshelf, hosted by the city of Guelph. Very well attended. It reinforced our belief that  Guelph citizens are really interested in getting on bikes!
• Supported City of Guelph’s initiative Bike to Work Day by leading 3 of the 5 rides to City Hall to celebrate importance of cycling in Guelph
• Participated in panel discussion of Livable Cities to promote a vision for Guelph that is more walkable and bikeable that attracted 50+ people.
• Participated in CBC panel discussion before provincial election to discuss issues that are important to people in Guelph
• helped the Guelph Police promote project 529 , a volunteer bike registry program proven to reduce bike theft in several cities in Canada. Free registration sticker with GCAT membership!
• participated in citizen run Southwestern Ontario Regional Bike Summit sponsored by Bike Windsor Essex to learn best practices from other advocacy groups in Southwestern Ontario
• wrote this and this article in the Guelph Mercury Tribune to raise awareness of importance of trail connections and of cycling in Guelph.
• facilitated at Bike & DIY sustainability to educate University of Guelph students on importance of alternative transportation options
• had booths at several community events, such as the EcoMarket, Tour de Guelph, Hillside Festival

Bikes, Trees and a Pint… a celebration of Henry Kock

Fun Events to encourage a culture of cycling in Guelph

• Magnolia Ride-ride through the Magnolia trees in Guelph, followed by a tea party
• Trees, Bikes and a Pint -celebrated at 2Rivers Festival with a bike ride to honour Henry Kock, beloved arborist at the Arboretum. 65 people attended.
• Love Your Bike Festival– celebrated with 2Rivers and St Andrews Church, and led families on a bike ride through Exhibition Park, and finished at Wooly’s pub for free hotdogs.
• Tweed Ride– we dressed in old timey clothes and rode through the beautiful neighbourhoods of Guelph and celebrated with a pint at Royal City Brewery
• Guelph Community Santa Parade-we all got dressed up and rode all kinds of bikes..please join us next year!

Book Launch, Building the Cycling City by Chris and Melissa Bruntlett, hosted by GCAT and held at the E-Bar

Please join us in 2019 on our journey to get more people to enjoy healthy transportation!  For only $10, your membership in GCAT will allow us to give a voice to more and more people who want to be healthy, fit, and contribute to the well being of the city.