Moving Guelph Forward

Hi BryanM!  Thanks for these great questions.  We have provided answers to each of your separate queries below.

Is the City of Guelph considering light rail options along the Gordon Street corridor? There is a condo corridor planned for Clair-Maltby and a lot of condo intensification along the Gordon corridor that exists already. It is an opportunity to have land-use and transit developed together to support the anticipated increase of residents in this area. Surrounding municipalities such as Kitchener-Waterloo & Cambridge are making huge strides in light rail developments. Or even a rapid bus system like Davis Drive Rapidway in Newmarket would be a nice addition to the City. 

Transit is identified as a priority in the Community Plan and therefore is an important component of the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The TMP will consider where it makes the most sense to prioritize transit. Some of the considerations will include land use planning policies and trends. Road characteristics, such as available property, would also be considered, as well as expected traffic volumes. Gordon Street is a likely candidate for prioritizing transit infrastructure. The TMP will confirm that, but will not commit to what kind of transit vehicles, what routes need changing, or what frequency of service is required. Those details will come through a subsequent Transit Master Plan, currently anticipated to begin in 2020.

Is Guelph looking at ways to calm traffic instead of speeding it up? If so how? There are more arterial roads planned for the City but this does not mean they have to be highways (which many motorists currently treat them as). As an active transportation advocate I hope to see more action on safety considerations. 

The TMP’s vision is for a safe, equitable transportation system. Safety considerations will be embedded into the TMP through the policy recommendations and in the proposed infrastructure changes. The TMP will explore themes of Vision Zero, traffic calming, and Multimodal Levels of Service (MMLOS) to address safety for all road users equitably and affordably. MMLOS is an evolution of Level of Service (LOS), a traditional traffic engineering concept that evaluates streets based on delay and available capacity for cars. While LOS only considers inconvenience for cars, MMLOS considers the experience that the street provides to all of its users. 

Will Guelph be addressing images by select groups advertised on the buses? I am not going to say specifically - but most people know, and some refuse to ride on a transit system that supports certain views. Just curious if there will be a rebranding of Guelph transit.

While bus advertising is out of the scope of the Transportation Master Plan, it is valuable feedback that we are sharing with Guelph Transit. For further information, please see the Council Approved Advertising Acceptability Policy dated October 03, 2016.  This document governs all advertising within the city, not just on Guelph Transit vehicles. 

Thanks for the question Andrew.  Safe transportation systems for all users is one of the core values of the Transportation Master Plan. Later this fall we will be creating a Complete Street Design Guide to update transportation design practices in Guelph. User safety, including cyclist safety, will be a key consideration in the recommended design practices.

Hi Rlk, thank you for this question. The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) will look at transit as part of the overall menu of transportation options in Guelph, and make recommendations about how to make the most of our transit services. Route change recommendations would be a level of detail addressed by a future Transit Master Plan. Guelph Transit will be starting an updated Transit Master Plan once the TMP is completed. 

Hi JH, thanks for the question. This is a difficult one. The tracks and rail yard near the Paisley Road/ Edinburgh Road South intersection are owned by CN Rail and rail operations do impact the operation of Edinburgh Road South at various times of day. Rail schedules are in the control of CN and can change without much warning. We will engage with CN to get a clear understanding of their vision for the function of the rail line to 2041. We will review the assumptions for the capacity and operations of Edinburgh Road South in the municipal transportation system and make adjustments during the network planning phases of the study to reflect the impact of the rail operations.

Hi Ed, thanks for your comment. The Vision for Transportation Master Plan includes a commitment to create a transportation system that is safe for all users. Speed management measures, such as traffic calming, are important tools for creating safe and complete streets for all users.  The Transportation Master Plan will also consider the expected population and employment growth along with the road network we have, and will be identifying issues and opportunities to ensure the next 20 years maintain reasonable traffic flow for all types of traffic, including pedestrians, bikes, buses, trucks and cars.

Hi Rick, 

That is a great suggestion! The Transportation Master Plan will lay out high-level policies and recommendations for how and where we design cycling facilities, but the staff implementing the plan will be responsible for supporting that work with outreach and education campaigns. Currently, Sustainable Transportation staff develop these materials and promote them at local events, through various media channels, and by providing occasional bike riding training. Please visit guelph.ca/bike for more information! 

Hi BikesRGood, thanks for your comment and question. The Community Plan tells us that our Guelph wants to get around more easily by more modes, including cycling, walking and public transit. The Transportation Master Plan will recommend ways to achieve this, both with our existing transportation system, and through policy change recommendations in how we build and grow in the future. The Transportation Master Plan will also feed into the Official Plan update, to help guide where density makes most sense (e.g. along identified transit priority corridors). 

Hi Nrichar, thank you for your question. Improved regional transit is one of the values in the Community Plan’s vision for how we get around our community. These vision statements and values are the foundation of our Transportation Master Plan, and will result in recommended goals, objectives and targets for Transit to achieve over the next 20 years. The next Transit master plan will address the details of how. 

Rodrigo, thank you for your question. The Community Plan’s transportation vision states that “...active transportation routes help address the traffic congestion that can follow rapid growth”, and also states “people feel safe [...] riding their bikes through all corners of our city.” Further, it envisions a city where “Transit is a priority”. These vision statements and values are the foundation of our Transportation Master Plan (TMP), and will guide policy and planning decisions that come out of the final TMP. 

Garym, thank you for sharing your feedback. The Official Plan policies in section 5.5.2 direct development and city building to be transit-supportive. Guelph Transit does its best to plan routes and stops as close to major destinations as possible: for example the Walmart Smart Centre has bus stops within the parking lot, and Route 16 drops passengers off right behind the Pergola Commons Cineplex. The Transportation Master Plan policy recommendations may include language to continue to support transit-oriented development. The next Transit Master Plan and the Zoning Bylaw are other tools to get more into the specifics of how to achieve that objective. 

Thanks for your question!  All bus stops currently have a phone number you can call to hear the time of the next bus arrival.

Hi, Hastings. Thanks for the suggestion! Water-based transportation is not within the scope of this study but is in scope for the Guelph Trail Master Plan Update project, which is currently underway. For further information please contact helen.white@guelph.ca.

Yvette, thank you for your question. The Community Plan’s transportation vision states that “...active transportation routes help address the traffic congestion that can follow rapid growth”, and also states “people feel safe [...] riding their bikes through all corners of our city.” While the TMP won’t provide a comprehensive update to the Cycling Master Plan, it will provide some guidance and policy direction to inform the next update to the Cycling Master Plan. This could include identifying priority corridors and appropriate road designs to support All-Ages and Abilities (AAA) cycling. The implementation strategy in the TMP will give some direction to the timing and prioritization of projects as well.

Rick, this is definitely an important trend to be following. The Community Plan’s vision for transportation states “smart, clean technology is embedded in our infrastructure.” The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) includes 7 policy white papers (background research and recommendations) to help inform the final recommendations. Understanding future technology changes, shifts in market behaviour, and sociodemographics will be captured in these white papers and reflected through a number of policies and recommendations.