Your neighbours support sustainable transportation infrastructure where it meets the mobility needs of the most people at the lowest cost but not where it will exacerbate issues related to public safety, our environment and city finances -- especially in a post-COVID world. We are calling on City of Guelph council to reject staff's recommendation to approve the Emma-Earl Bridge (EEB) Environmental Assessment (EA) and refocus its efforts on Speedvale Avenue and the existing Trans-Canada Trail (TCT) for these reasons:

Project Need: Despite EA analysis going back to 2016, the need for the $1.7 million EEB has not been established given other city policing, infrastructure, housing, health and financial challenges -- all of which have been strained by the COVID pandemic (yet not mentioned in any EA documents). The EEB will NOT help cyclists and pedestrians get across car-oriented Speedvale Avenue where the real safety issues are. (Fortunately, the Speedvale Bridge “pinch point” bollards -- installed in June 2020 -- have already made this section of the road much safer for all users. The "pinch point" should be extended 200 metres east to Marlborough Road and made permanent. A new traffic light or cross-walk should be installed at Marlborough so citizens living east of the river can cross Speedvale safely without having to walk/ride west to the existing crosswalk located in front of Guelph Fire Station #2.)

EA Scope: The scope was too narrow as it only focused on the bridge spanning the river. The EA process should have been extended to Speedvale, Dufferin and Marlborough to include sidewalk and road/hydro realignment. 

Planning and Demand: In 2015, council and staff used the EEB as “a bone” thrown to some cyclists in order to get their support for the $20 million Speedvale road design in 2015 – which contradicted the city’s 2009 Bike Policy and 2013 Cycling Master Plan which specify that all newly constructed roads will include bike lanes. The rationale for the EEB is also based on an outdated 2005 Trails Master Plan -- which did not identify the EEB as a priority -- along with the outdated 2007 Local Growth Management Plan. The Trails Master Plan, slated for completion in 2021, should be approved in conjunction with the city-wide Transportation Master Plan before moving forward with EEB as there is no hard data to indicate that cycling and walking will increase amongst the majority of Ward 2 residents who have access to an automobile. (Hard data includes: mode split/auto ownership, origin-destination data, current vs. projected bike/ped trip numbers, route lengths, etc.)

Cycling, Pedestrian and Neighourhood Safety: The level of assaults, vandalism (Molotov Cocktails) and drug activity on the TCT could increase since it isn't being patrolled regularly by bike police - of which there are only 4 across the city. Forklifts and 36-wheeler trucks entering/exiting the Armtec plant by EEB and driving along Earl Street will lead to more accidents.

Environment: This part of the river is a turtle nesting ground and is heavily used by a range of water animals including beaver, muskrat, minks, herons, kingfishers and at least 6 kinds of ducks (mallards, common mergansers, hooded mergansers, buffleheads, goldeneyes, redheads).  This precious wildlife could be extirpated due to EEB construction and their habitat forever altered. Mature trees along the banks of the river would also be cut down to make way for the EEB.  The November 2019 EA report by Aquafor Beech Consultants sternly warns on page 62: “… none of the three design alternatives fully meet the current development policies of the City of Guelph as defined in the Official Plan. Due to site constraints, all of the bridge designs have a permanent footprint within the Natural Heritage System (NHS)." Having already amended city policy on Speedvale bike lanes, the city should not amend the Official Plan where the NHS is concerned.  

Garbage: The nearby Norwich, Speedvale and Riverside Park bridges are used as dumping grounds for garbage of all types, including needles. The EEB would bring more of the same, further compounding the environmental disruption for wildlife (both locally and downstream).

Financial: In June 2017, the preliminary ranking carried out by staff and consultants suggested the single-span bridge was the preferred alternative. At the time, the capital cost was estimated to be $1.8 million but jumped to $3.23 million (excluding HST) in May 2020. Without requesting any community feedback (and questionable methodology evaluating project benefits and costs), staff has presented an altered $1.7 million two-span bridge (Alternative 2B). This amount will increase when lighting, guarded sidewalks, road/hydro realignment, possible expropriation, policing and other operating costs are included. These scarce dollars should be invested in Speedvale bike lanes and/or permanent pinchpoint/crosswalk (extending from west side of bridge to Marlborough) and a bridge underpass. Balance of funds can be invested in increased police surveillance, river enhancement/clean-up and lighting on the TCT.

Consultation: There has been an extreme lack of communication between city staff and impacted neighbourhoods (other than two 2-hour PIC meetings, the second being held 6 months later than originally scheduled).  Those who attended the first meeting in October 2016 were not notified of the June 2017 meeting. Meeting format (with 25 separate display boards) is purposely designed to limit citizen interaction. City advertisements initially included incorrect phone numbers and requests to access public comments has been refused by staff until after EA documentation has been filed.  Open house participants who provided their email addresses were not kept informed as to the status of the EA and the city website was not updated since July 16, 2017. Ultimately, this process has taken a total of 4 years to complete -- staff told the community on June 7, 2017, that the EA Project file would be filed and agency approvals obtained in September 2017 (see display board #25). With new information finally posted to the city’s website on August 27, 2020, staff gave the community 6 business days to send comments and/or register as a delegation at the Committee of the Whole Meeting. Only those who follow the process knew about this meeting and scrambled to make deputations on September 8. This does not follow best practices in public consultation. 

On September 28, Guelph City Council has a final chance to reject the EEB as it is not necessary for the affected neighbourhoods or the city at large – for all the safety, planning, environmental, financial and consultative reasons stated above. This was an important decision to make before the COVID pandemic struck and even more important now.  

Please sign our petition (include Ward) and add your comments by noon  September 28. It will be sent to all Guelph Council members. Thanks very much!