Living on Scottsdale Drive in Guelph, Ontario has become increasingly difficult since the recent bike lane installation. Every day, residents witness firsthand the severe traffic congestion, maintenance hazards, and frustration these lanes have brought to our community. While we wholeheartedly support active transportation, what was intended to promote cycling has instead created safety risks that outweigh any potential benefits. We want safe bike lanes for all—cyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and drivers alike.

Since the lanes were added, city buses and school buses have struggled to navigate the narrowed roadways. This has led to daily bottlenecks, unsafe maneuvering, and buses stopping in dangerous positions to pick up passengers. Parents dropping children off at nearby schools are increasingly concerned about safety as vehicles crawl through congested corridors.

Furthermore, the low concrete barriers have deteriorated rapidly. Smashed by traffic and plows, crumbling curbs have left sharp, exposed steel rebar sticking out directly into active roadway lanes—creating severe hazards for tires, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Pedestrian safety has also been negatively impacted. Drivers grow impatient attempting risky maneuvers, while pedestrians are left navigating a streetscape that feels chaotic and unpredictable. Meanwhile, many cyclists continue to prefer safer off-road routes rather than riding alongside low, damaged concrete curbs on a constricted road.

This change has artificially inflated traffic, turning what was once a smoothly flowing thoroughfare into daily gridlock with more idling cars, longer commutes, and higher collision risks.

Our community deserves infrastructure that genuinely meets everyone's needs. We want safe, sensible bike lanes for all. Instead of hazardous, on-road "curb and bollard" setups, our city should invest in proper off-road, divided multi-use boulevard pathways—similar to those on College Avenue—that fully protect cyclists and pedestrians without compromising street width, transit flow, or winter snowplowing.

We are asking the City of Guelph to remove the hazardous on-road concrete bike lane barriers on Scottsdale Drive and Silvercreek Parkway, restore the full traffic lanes, and re-evaluate this corridor for integrated, off-road active transportation infrastructure.

Doing so will improve safety for everyone, relieve congestion, and restore the livability of our neighborhood streets.

Your support is vital. By signing this petition, you are urging city officials to reevaluate these bike lanes and take meaningful action to protect our community’s safety and mobility.

Let’s reclaim our streets for safe, smooth, and sensible transportation for all.