Thank you for the excellent latest edition of “Insight Guelph”. I have been a resident of Guelph for almost 20 years, and am as worried as the next person about how we are all going to make the shifts we need to make, now, towards living sustainably.In fact, I do everything you suggest on the “making a difference” page (and more): I grow as much of my own food as I can on a city lot, and use no pesticides or herbicides. Needless to say I have two massive composters. I have a huge perennial garden filled with drought-resistant native plants. It is habitat for lots of wild things. I never water my lawn. I cut it at the right height and mulch. I water the vegetable garden from the bath and shower water, and what collects from downspouts. I have all high efficiency appliances, and dry my clothes outside on good weather days. I have installed a low-flush toilet and a programmable thermostat. I buy almost everything second hand and am in no way a ‘consumer’. I shop locally. I recycle everything, and reuse everything until it just can’t be used anymore. I carry bags and a travel mug. I almost never buy pre-made food (heavy packaging). I cook most of what we eat from scratch. I wish I had chickens!
AND I ride my bike to work every day (I teach at the University of Guelph).
To be honest, it is what I feel is, out of all my lifestyle choices, most demanding, and most impactful. This is why I am writing to you.
Not only does it reduce my carbon emissions etc, but it has the potential to set an example for my students and my friends (at least the ones who can ride a bike, or can afford to own a bike). Cycling is a viable transportation mode in a city like Guelph, which has decent weather and not too many hills. (Though I did bike year-round in Edmonton!). But the bike lane situation is appalling. Where there are bike lanes, they end abruptly (usually just at the “No cycling on any sidewalk” sign, and where the road lanes narrow dangerously). Mostly
there are no bike lanes along the main thoroughfares. Nothing about that makes sense to a city that is trying to encourage citizens to be responsible. Many many more people would bike to work if there wasn’t the present unease about taking your life in your hands navigating traffic. I have heard this so many times…As you know, larger cities like Vancouver and Montreal have really gotten their act together and produced an efficient, effective, centralized grid of safe bike lanes (the ones in Montreal even have their own traffic signal!). The key is to think of bikes as vehicles and not recreation. They are the best option for the future for getting somewhere quickly, and directly. Paths through parks, and up and around through treed neighborhoods (however lovely) are not “bike paths”. Those are for meandering about on Saturday morning. To get to work one needs a direct path with clearly marked lanes which are cleaned of glass and debris regularly. (I hate to say it, but often it looks like the bike
lanes are where the debris and glass are swept! It is VERY dangerous!).There is so much construction in our fair city right now. Please, I am begging you to ensure that the repaving of Victoria Road and Gordon Street happens with bike lanes. It just doesn’t make sense to not do this right now. “Right now” as in the environment. And, “Right now” as in the opportunity to do it right while it is all being fixed (for car traffic). KH
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In Today’s (June 6th) edition of the Guelph Mercury, there is an article on cycling in Guelph and some concerns and ideas raised.
In my opinion, Guelph has been a leader in proving Cyclists a coordinated, safe, and accessible bike network to ride in for many years. This is something that many of my friends from the City of Toronto and many Toronto cyclists have envied because they are having difficulty even getting a citywide network implemented at the moment in Canada’s largest city.
However, this article does raise a need for some action. With the challenge of a growing city and an increase in car use, I feel it is time to bring back the Guelph Cyclist Committee. Back in the 1990’s, this committee was ahead of its time in terms of getting a bike network up and promoting cycling as a alternative to the car and helping the environment.
I have written a very detailed entry into my Inside Guelph Blog (http://insideguelph.wordpress.com and the entry http://tinyurl.com/3adwrt ) with various links to other communities as well as general information of the cycling movement.
I hope you will take the time to read this and consider this idea. Please feel feel to forward this information. SP