As city officials look to breathe new life into the downtown core, protected bike lanes are likely on their way to Wyndham Street North.
The road redesign concept, which includes a single lane of traffic heading in each direction, was unanimously approved by city council’s committee of the whole on Tuesday afternoon, after members heard both praise for and objections to the idea.
“It’s really exciting to see this project coming to fruition,” Coun. Carly Klassen, one of two downtown representatives on council, said of revitalization efforts as a whole.
The road redesign was the only aspect of the overall project dealt with by the committee on Tuesday. 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.
If ratified by council later this month, the committee-approved motion will see Wyndham Street North rebuilt with one lane of vehicular traffic in each direction, along with parallel parking on both sides of the road and separated bike lanes on both sides as well.
Of course, that’s after aging underground infrastructure is replaced and/or upgraded beginning in 2026.
“This approach seems to balance the diverse needs of our community, providing accessible options for everyone while optimizing the use of our limited space,” Andrea Bidgood of the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation (GCAT) told the committee.
The change will make the downtown “no longer a thoroughfare but a destination for our residents and a model for communities,” she added.
Bidgood was among three GCAT representatives who spoke to the committee in favour of the design.
The committee-approved design will “help move Guelph into the current century,” suggested part-time city resident Alison Stewart.
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, 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, he called for “big, beautiful sidewalks” to enhance the downtown experience.
Doug Minett, co-founder of The Bookshelf, also spoke out against protected bike lanes in favour of more on-street parking.
“It would appear this is an intentional insult to the public who currently support downtown retail,” he said, referring to those who drive downtown and require space to park. “Can Guelph afford to ignore the clear advice of its customer base?”
In addition to the design concept for Wyndham Street North, the committee endorsed plans for St. George’s Square. That plan is essentially to leave it as it is, with some operational changes and the inclusion of protected bike lanes.
Coun. Phil Allt was absent from the committee meeting.
Council is tentatively slated to consider formalizing the design concepts during its meeting on Feb. 27.
