WINTER WEDNESDAY: SAFE ROUTES DON’T DISAPPEAR IN WINTER Kids walking, rolling, or bussing to school still need clear ramps, safe crossings, and accessible bus stops — even when the snow piles up. If you see a spot that’s unsafe or blocked: report it. It helps keep your school route connected.

Winter reminds us that accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential! Blocked ramps, snowed-in bus stops, and buried crosswalk buttons can completely cut people off from daily life. If you spot an accessibility barrier report it 519-837-5648 | operations@guelph.ca | guelph.ca/snow #WinterWednesday

For many of us mobility devices, chronic pain, sensory overwhelm, low-car households, winter maintenance determines whether we can leave home at all. If you notice a snow barrier that blocks someone’s movement, report it. Those calls change routes, timelines, and priorities.

WINTER WEDNESDAY: SAFE ROUTES DON’T DISAPPEAR IN WINTER Kids walking, rolling, or bussing to school still need clear ramps, safe crossings, and accessible bus stops — even when the snow piles up. If you see a spot that’s unsafe or blocked: report it. It helps keep your school route connected.

Oh, you’re upset there’s a cyclist taking the lane? Wait till you hear how they feel about it.

Yes. In addition to long-term street redesigns, we need to enforce traffic laws. We currently have a culture that doesn’t consider road rules (like speed limits) to be legitimate or real. Some jurisdictions — Ontario, Alberta — have banned/restricted automated speed enforcement. That’s bonkers.

“I am sorry” matters, especially when paired with action. But it’s also important we’re honest about what was reversed: a shared winter safety service, not a niche perk. #GuelphMunicipalBudget2026 #GuelphPoli #BikeLanes #WinterCycling

If the money we "saved" meant that on street parking, transit approaches, and drainage we're also unmaintained, then blaming bike lanes is how you turn basic maintenance into a culture war. #GuelphMunicipalBudget2026 #GuelphPoli #BikeLanes #WinterCycling

New Substack - It hurts everyone to pit vulnerable groups against each other.

Proceeds go to our friends at Freehub with the Guelph Tool Library!

Cyclists ride through downtown Guelph to protest seasonal bike lane closures

Cam Guthrie uses Strong Mayors powers to reinstate snow removal service for bike lanes

It turns out vehicular traffic does something else, too, more subtle but equally pernicious: It changes the way children see and experience the world by diminishing their connection to community and neighbors. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

We narrowly regained our bike lanes Seeing the Whole Street: A Winter Case Study from Guelph, Ontario #GuelphMunicipalBudget2026 #StrongMayorPowers #OnPoli #WinterCycling #BikeLanes open.substack.com/pub/bicylema...

The politician who changed his mind on winter bike lanes #onpoli cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/new...

We narrowly regained our bike lanes Seeing the Whole Street: A Winter Case Study from Guelph, Ontario #GuelphMunicipalBudget2026 #StrongMayorPowers #OnPoli #WinterCycling #BikeLanes open.substack.com/pub/bicylema...

Winter reminds us that accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential! Blocked ramps, snowed-in bus stops, and buried crosswalk buttons can completely cut people off from daily life. If you spot an accessibility barrier report it 519-837-5648 | operations@guelph.ca | guelph.ca/snow #WinterWednesday

Public trust isn’t built by never making mistakes. It’s built by what you do after one becomes clear. That’s public leadership done right.

Garbage pickup. Deliveries. Mail service. Transit stops. On-street parking. All of these rely on predictable, passable streets. When space disappears, services slow... or stop. This affects your day whether you bike or not. Contact Council before 9am Dec 16.

More snow at the end of your driveway. Bigger windrows. More shoveling. Less visibility. Closing part of the roadway doesn’t remove snow, it redistributes it! Usually onto residents. This affects homeowners directly. Contact Council before 9am Dec 16.

Blocked storm drains = more ice more flooding more road damage Snow doesn’t disappear when a lane is “closed.” It piles, melts, refreezes and finds the lowest point. That lowest point is usually the road. Infrastructure neglect costs more later. Contact Council before 9am Dec 16.

Tighter passes. More congestion. More conflict. Less margin for error. When snow pushes people into fewer usable lanes, everyone pays: drivers, pedestrians, transit, deliveries and more This isn’t about preference. It’s about system pressure. ⏰ Tell Council to vote NO before 9am Dec 16.

This isn’t a niche issue. This isn’t “just cyclists.” When a city abandons part of its street network the effects ripple outward... into traffic flow, safety, maintenance, and daily life for everyone. One decision. Entire city. 📣 Contact Council before 9am Dec 16.

All out this eve for Guelph's bike lanes! Don't let Mayor Gurthrie and some on Guelph City Council do what Doug Ford failed at, closing bike lanes! Together we ride from Quebec St Mall (meet at the Heart). Dress warm and bring lights friends. #GuelphPoli #GuelphBikes #WinterCycling

Protest ride Monday evening. Meet at the heart outside the main entrance of Quebec st mall at 5:40 and we'll roll out at 6:00. Please join us to support us even if you're not riding with us. If you or anyone you love bikes in this city - we need you to write in to council.

No strong mayor powers here... just strong concern about a very low standard for my city.

The city is starting to catch up on the whole picture...

For many of us mobility devices, chronic pain, sensory overwhelm, low-car households, winter maintenance determines whether we can leave home at all. If you notice a snow barrier that blocks someone’s movement, report it. Those calls change routes, timelines, and priorities.

Check out our letter to Mayor Guthrie and the City of Guelph about how their decision to not clear bike lanes may run contrary to their Municipal Act obligations and jurisprudence: www.thebikinglawyer.ca/post/letter-... This applies across Ontario FYI.

Winter is one of the best times to educate people about car-centric policies because when it's snowy you can clearly see how little our cities care about anyone not traveling in a car. Even if you're not some activist, someone walking in winter can appreciate how much an unplowed sidewalk sucks.

If you change one part of a street, the entire system shifts. This winter, Guelph is about to meet the consequences of cutting winter bike lane maintenance and it won’t stay in the bike lane. Everything spills. Everything spreads. Everything is connected.

It's #FreedomToMove Friday! Tell me: What wheels help you feel free? What’s stopping you from walking, biking, or rolling more often? Where in Guelph / where you live do you not feel safe to move? Real stories shape better streets. Let’s hear yours. #BYCS #BicycleMayorNetwork #MobilityForAll

Put up our snowman on the back of our ecargo bike! #happyholidays #tern #bicycle

Preview of pedestrian width only (for pedestrian use only) will look like - when officially enstated - we should still be meeting minimum maintenance standards until the infrastructure is formally closed. #guelphminicipalbudget2026 #guelph youtube.com/shorts/WkwAn...

Imagine getting off the bus at this stop on a major arterial street in Chicago. The ramp comes down and you roll off with a wheelchair or walker. I use this stop often with my kids. The packed ice is about 4 inches thick. The trampled boot path is around 12 inches wide.

Where I'm supposed to be positioned when the bike lanes aren't maintained #GuelphMinicipalBudget2026 #cyclecommute #Guelph #OnPoli #MinimumMaintenanceStandards

WINTER WEDNESDAY: SAFE ROUTES DON’T DISAPPEAR IN WINTER Kids walking, rolling, or bussing to school still need clear ramps, safe crossings, and accessible bus stops — even when the snow piles up. If you see a spot that’s unsafe or blocked: report it. It helps keep your school route connected.

All the bike and pedestrian infrastructure in the world will not do people any good unless a city has an efficient and accountable maintenance plan.

c/o @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social

"[...] if we’re going to put money into something, it shouldn’t be police programs to get people’s bikes back, it should be programs that help people and not have to resort to criminality.” www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/arti...

We're running out of excuses for not seeing (or hearing me)

the villain

I forgot that I made these - truly I was hoping they weren't needed but if you want this or the 3 other designs as a sticker or printed on something: www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1751...

If anyone needs the clarification the "Bicycle Mayor" is an official volunteer title and the orthodox is obviously a joke I need to make to laugh or I'll just cry 🤷‍♀️

Vision Zero says safety is non-negotiable. Guelph said: “Okay, but what if it’s worth $4 each in property tax?” #GuelphMunicipalBudget2026 #WinterBikeLanes

Vision Zero doesn’t discourage people from moving by a certain mode. It demands we make movement safe. Winter cycling is only ‘unsafe’ when the city chooses not to maintain safe conditions. Not maintaining infrastructure and then blaming the people who use it is the opposite of Vision Zero.

Virtually all lanes are lines on the roads 💅 Still no answer on keeping bus stops and parking accessible if we're not maintaining bike lanes where they intersect.

As Bicycle Mayor my ideology is simple: Don’t hit people. Clear the bike lanes. Actually that’s pretty much it. Bicycle Mayor Doctrine #12: If thou createth a bike lane, thou shalt maintaineth it. Even in the frozen times.

Welp, get ready for cyclists to take the full lane this winter. An awful decision which impacts the accessibility and transportation needs for people who rely on bike lanes to get where they need to go. @bicyclemayorguelph.bsky.social @activeguelph.bsky.social @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social #guelph

Unfortunately I'm employed and can't be yelled at to get a job but: As the Orthodox Bicycle Mayor, I’ve concluded winter maintenance is my religion and the bike lane is my temple. ok back to work for now