New lanes allow cyclists to ride safely beside pedestrians
The intersection at Stone Road and Gordon Street is one of the busiest intersections in the city. For cyclists, the intersection can be daunting. The intersection sees an influx of congestion from campus traffic, local residents, and those entering or returning from Highway 6. Left turns in particular leave cyclists vulnerable when facing oncoming traffic.
“Gordon Street near Stone Road sees up to a thousand trips by bike per weekday, and Stone Road sees around 150 bikes pass each day,” said Jennifer Juste, program manager at Guelph’s Transportation Services. “Most people don’t feel safe merging across lanes of traffic to make a left turn from the left-turn lane.”
The new protected bike lane ensures that cyclists no longer have to merge into traffic or cross multiple lanes to turn left. Cyclists now have a pathway to ride safely beside pedestrians instead of dismounting or illegally sharing the crosswalk.
Juste noted that Guelph can expect more protected bike intersections in the future, but they will come in different iterations.
“They may take the form of a multi-use path in the boulevard (protected by a strip of boulevard or the curb), a painted buffer (see Stone Road East), rumble strips between travel and bike lanes (see the new Victoria Road bike lanes), bollards (such as those on the McCrae Bridge near Wellington Street), or other barriers like planters or curbs (not yet implemented in Guelph),” Juste told The Ontarion.
How to use the new protected intersection:
- 1. Follow the arrows on the green pathway, always turning left (or counter-clockwise).
- 2. Wait in the designated bike area on the corner (indicated by the bright green paint), and follow instructions from the traffic lights.
- 3. Upon a green light, follow the lanes and exit the green intersection to complete the left turn.
For drivers, it is important to check blind spots and to yield to both pedestrians and cyclists.
Photos by Alora Griffiths/ The Ontarion