Speedvale improvements

A resident’s comments.

We were there early and talked Ian and staff. I support the Emma Str. bike lanes as well that said it doesn’t address the issues that cyclists living on Speedvale will have getting to Emma Street. That distance may only be a block or two but it will be an unsafe block or two especially for children. Victoria St. has bike lanes so this would cause a problem with cyclists travelling down Victoria, turning onto Speedvale and being left with no bike lane to travel on. Not all cyclists from this area travel to downtown, many use Speedvale to travel straight across on Speedvale to work in the industrial area in the northwest of Guelph. The Emma route would be useless for them and Speedvale will be just as unsafe as it is now.

Emma Str. has been slated for a walking cyclist bridge for some yrs. now, it hasn’t happened. From what I’ve heard from the residents on both sides of the river, there will be a lot of opposition it. We need the Emma St. project to start and finish at the same time as the Speedvale Street. project. All streets should be safe for all means of travel, so to accommodate all the cyclists in the area I’d vote for both the 4 lanes and 2 bike lanes and the Emma Street. project to be completed at the same time.

The plan I support is the most expensive but the safest. Many people have are concerned about losing a large amount of land from the front of their lots. The staff didn’t point out that the amount of property wouldn’t be as significant as the residents think. Please correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t the city already own 3 ft. in from the side walk. It would buy approx. 3 more ft. There would be no boulevard and the str. edge would be were the boulevard is now. I’m pretty sure the street scape would be the same as what has been done at corner of Speedvale and Victoria to Stevenson. Can we find green provincial or federal funding that would pay for the cost as bike lanes?

On a more personal note, it was quite a shock to me that people would consider their property more valuable than the safety of those that use the street. I don’t think the residents that object to this have really thought it though. When and accident occurs will they be okay explaining to someone’s loved one that their land is more precious than the life or safety of cyclists using Speedvale. I really hope I’m wrong on that but why would anyone really want set up a scenario to find out.

I truly believe that all streets should be safe for all modes of traffic and I think that our office plan states that as well, and I really hope that you can support this.VB