Thank you for a wonderful bike month & how to take action this july
Paws and reflect… we couldn’t have done it without you.
To our amazing volunteers, community partners, and friends: thank you for bringing so much heart and energy to Bike Month. Whether you were out on rides, volunteering at events, spreading the word, or cheering us on, you all made it all happen.
And to those of you still working behind the scenes even after such a busy stretch: we see you and appreciate you more than you know. 🧡
This email is your peek at what’s rolling up next. Whether you’re filling out a survey, or just meow-nitoring things from the sidelines (I had to), your voice matters. You help shape the future of active transportation in Guelph.
The opportunities below are just the beginning, we also have our committees, events in the works with volunteer opportunities, and lots of ways to get involved. Keep up with us on socials or right here in your inbox.
Thanks for being part of this paws-itively awesome community. (Okay, I’m done now.)
— Andrea Bidgood
Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
Vice Chair, GCAT
Ways to get involved
1. City Council meeting July 22 2025
🕙 Deadline to register or send written comments: Friday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m.
🔗 Submit comments or register to speak
🗂️ Check the most up-to-date Council agenda – Agenda item numbers can change!
Agenda items:
Administrative Penalty System for Speed & Red Light Cameras
Council will vote to move Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) and Red Light Camera (RLC) violations into a local penalty system.
✅ This makes enforcement faster, local, and more effective.
✅ It supports Guelph’s Vision Zero goals to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities.
✅ It opens the door for more cameras where they’re most needed: school zones, bike routes, and high-risk intersections.
📢 Why it matters: The number one factor in whether a pedestrian or cyclist survives a collision is vehicle speed.
🗣️ What can I ask of council?:
- Approve the administrative penalty system
- Commit to expanding camera use in areas with a history of near-misses or collisions
- Ensure transparent public reporting on camera locations and outcomes
Downtown Infrastructure Renewal Program (DTIRP) + St. George’s Square Redesign
This major redesign and reconstruction will reshape sidewalks, sewers, roads, and cycling infrastructure downtown.
📢 Key details from the attachments:
- Emphasis on “pedestrians first” and decorative, curb-less design at St. George’s Square
- Cycling infrastructure included in the plans: but the details matter!
- A great example was my last visit to Waterloo: I kept reminding my friends that they were in or gravitating towards the bike lane because come areas are hard to distinguish from pedestrian areas.
- Construction plans maintain access for pedestrians and cyclists, with a new wayfinding system
🗣️ What can I ask of council?:
- Prioritize safe, protected cycling infrastructure throughout downtown
- Use this opportunity to expand pedestrian-priority zones and make sure there are details to easily tell them apart no matter your ability
- Ensure that construction mitigation includes clear, safe pedestrian and bike detours and access signage
Advocate for Better Bike Parking in New Developments
📍 The development at 343 Waterloo Avenue is up for final approval and includes:
- 6 short-term and 15 long-term bike parking spaces
📢 That’s a great precedent, but it shouldn’t be the exception. As cycling becomes more practical for everyday travel, people need reliable, secure, and accessible bike parking, especially in mixed-use and residential buildings.
🗣️ What can I ask of council?:
- Standardize high-quality, secure, and covered bike parking in all new developments and not just basic outdoor racks
- Require space for non-standard bikes like:
- Cargo bikes
- Bike trailers
- Tricycles or adaptive cycles
- Ensure accessible bike parking for people with mobility devices, families, and those who use cycling for work or caregiving
- Include e-bike charging capacity and lighting for safety and convenience
💡 Bike parking is not just a box to check! It’s a part of how we make cycling a viable alternative to car trips, for everyone.
2. Have Your Say
Comment on the Official Plan Update (Phase 1 – Ongoing)
This is your chance to shape the long-term planning vision for how Guelph grows, where we build, and how we move.
💡 Right now, you can:
- Ask questions and submit early feedback
- Review proposed changes to transportation maps, trail networks, park access, and road widenings
📢 Example: Gordon Street is proposed to widen from 26m to 32m between College Ave and Stone Rd. It might be a good idea to clarify if this is for the Protected Cycling Network.
🔗 Learn more and submit questions: Have Your Say – Official Plan Update
Take the Moving You Forward Survey
Guelph is developing a new Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Action Plan, and your voice matters in shaping it.
This plan, called Moving You Forward, is all about reducing congestion and making sustainable travel easier, more affordable, and more attractive.
💡 What is Transportation Demand Management (TDM)?
TDM is about helping people choose non-car options—especially during peak hours—by investing in supportive tools and strategies like:
- Employer-supported transit programs and flexible schedules
- Carpool matching and parking incentives
- Secure, accessible bike parking (at workplaces, homes, and transit hubs)
- End-of-trip facilities (like showers and lockers)
- Improved infrastructure and public education
TDM doesn’t replace infrastructure but it can enhance it. It ensures all the work the City is doing through:
- the Cycling Master Plan
- the Transportation Master Plan
- the Downtown Infrastructure Renewal Program
- the Official Plan update
…actually results in more people choosing to walk, cycle, or take transit.
If you’ve ever said:
“I’d bike if there was secure parking.”
“I’d bus if it came more often.”
“I’d walk, but the sidewalk feels unsafe.”
This is the plan that responds to those real-life barriers.
Take the 5-minute survey by July 31 to share:
- What’s stopping you from choosing active or sustainable travel?
- What support would help your workplace, school, or household shift trips away from driving?
- What would make Guelph’s transportation system more inclusive, affordable, and practical?
🔗 haveyoursay.guelph.ca/moving-you-forward
✍️ Sample Comment for Council (Speed & Downtown Infrastructure)
🕙 Deadline to submit: Friday, July 18 by 10:00 a.m.
🔗 Submit your comments here
To Mayor Guthrie and Members of Guelph City Council,
My name is [insert your name], and I’m a resident of [insert your ward or neighbourhood if you’d like]. I’m writing in support of safer, more accessible, and sustainable transportation options in Guelph ahead of the July 22 Council meeting.
I urge you to vote in favour of transitioning speed and red light camera enforcement to a local administrative penalty system. This change will help reduce dangerous driving, improve enforcement timelines, and align with Guelph’s Vision Zero goals. Please also commit to expanding camera use in high-risk areas like school zones and major bike routes, and ensure the public has access to clear data about locations and outcomes.
I also support the goals of the Downtown Infrastructure Renewal Program and the redesign of St. George’s Square. Please ensure this once-in-a-generation project includes protected cycling infrastructure, safe pedestrian-priority spaces, and wayfinding that is clear for people of all ages and abilities. Design choices should make it obvious where people should walk or cycle, including those using mobility devices or pushing strollers.
Additionally, I support the inclusion of bike parking at 343 Waterloo Avenue, but I encourage Council to take this further. Please standardize secure, covered, and accessible bike parking in all new developments, with space for non-standard bikes like cargo bikes, trailers, trikes, and adaptive cycles. Include e-bike charging and lighting where possible. These features are essential to making cycling a practical option for families, workers, and people with disabilities.
[Optional: Share a sentence about your personal experience walking, biking, or getting around Guelph.]
Thank you for your attention and for your work toward a safer, more connected Guelph.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Even a single sentence of support sends a message:
Guelph cares about people. Guelph cares about safety. Guelph cares about building better ways to move.
Let’s keep the momentum going.
