Does the city have any pull with Zehrs and the other grocery stores?
No Frills has green and blue bags for their groceries. Would it be possible to ask the other stors to follow along?

I should probably be living in KW, but I just love Guelph so much I can’t bring myself to leave.

Just my two cents.

The performances will continue until August 22, with tellers from the Guelph Guild and guests from Baden.

And this jewel is free.

I recall watching my daughter, at age six and on her little pink bike with white tires, riding down Gordon Street by the University in the bike lane because she told me that it’s “against the law, daddy” to ride on the sidewalk. I watched her ride ahead of me, as cars and trucks wizzed by creating winds that only cyclists can feel. After some frayed nerves (mine and my wife’s), we decided that some rules need to be broken.

As a utilitarian cyclist myself, I know it can be tempting to disobey rules of the road that were made for cars, but it is very important to keep in mind that these rules help drivers predict the behaviour of other road users, including cyclists. Most accidents happen as a result of unexpected behaviours such as a fast-moving cyclist on a sidewalk or crosswalk.

Following the rules of the road means your behaviour is predictable and expected by other road users. This means stopping at stop signs, staying on the road, signaling your intentions, obeying traffic signals, etc. Cars do not use sidewalks, and neither should cyclists unless they dismount and walk. This is not to inconvenience cyclists, but to protect them and unsuspecting drivers from painful encounters.

Cyclists should stay tuned for constant improvements to our cycling network in Guelph as we design and implement the Bicycle-Friendly Guelph plan in the coming years. It is our goal to make cycling a safe, enjoyable and convenient experience for all users in Guelph through proper networks, education, encouragement and enforcement.

I was cycling through the Canadian Tire parking lot and I came to a stop sign, stopped, saw the way was clear and turned left. A black ford ranger did the down and across from me, but he turned about 10 seconds after me. This resulted in him clearly cutting me off. I ride with clip pedals, meaning my feet are fairly well secured in the pedals, so I can’t put my feet down instantly in an emergency.

I braked quickly and called out the the man driving that I am also a vehicle, much like any motorist would have honked their horn. At which point the man slammed on his brakes and I nearly ran into the back of him (I was already quite close seeing as he cut me off). He asked me what I said to him - I said that I am also considered a vehicle and that he cut me off - and that he needs to be more careful!

His response? “Shut your mouth.”

And then he drove away.

Now, I realize that this is probably not the typical Guelphian response (I certainly hope not, or I am going to drive more) but situations like this, with perhaps more polite encounters, have happened to me ALOT - and I obey the rules of the road.

The truth is that the city is built for cars, not bikes, thus many cyclists find themselves afraid to bike on the road or they find themselves in situations like mine today where careless and sometimes rude motorists endanger their lives. Yes - it is the responsibility of both but motorists need to remember that they are bigger, insulated and that we do not have these two benefits, on top of having a much less responsive vehicle - which makes us more vulnerable.

I obey the rules because I go fast on my bike (aka 30kms/hour) and commute often in high traffic. Most importantly, I obey the rules because I want to be in the right if something ever happens to me while bicycling. That’s quite sad, if you think about it, that the main reason I follow the rules, and bike on the road, etc, is because when a motorist hits me I want to be the one who was doing the right thing.

As for cyclists on the sidewalk, I don’t blame them. Their scared, and they have good reason to be. I have never ever heard of a senior or child being hit by a bicyclist and I would be wary of making such a claim without proof - especially since we allow people with disabilities or reduced mobility ride motorized scooters on the sidewalk!

Crosswalks are an interesting debate - it’s not required to dismount for them, and if its your turn to go - why should you? I certainly do not condone running red lights or crossing unsafely.

For any cyclists in situations like mine - I would suggest what I did not do (because I was angry). Take down the license plate of the motorist and report him or her to police. They will make a report and head to the individuals house and fine them.

As for drivers, I would encourage you to talk to bicyclists who cut you off etc by stopping and calling out to them. The only way to really get anywhere on this is to engage with each other.