Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
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bicyclemayorguelph.bsky.social
Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
@bicyclemayorguelph.bsky.social
Andrea Bidgood - Guelph’s first Bicycle Mayor
Transforming cities through cycling, care & community
Part of the global BYCS network
https://linktr.ee/BicycleMayorGuelph
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What a Bronze Bear Can Teach Us About Safer Streets

In Guelph, Ontario, there’s a sculpture called the Begging Bear, a 7.5-foot bronze figure standing just off Gordon Street, a busy road that cuts straight through the heart of the city.
Every Ko-fi support, every share, every shout-out keeps inclusive rides, safety education & advocacy alive.
Thank you for showing that community care still steps up for what the City won’t. 💚

#Guelph #HumanInfrastructure #AffordabilityForAll #GuelphMunicipalBudget2026

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Guelph's first Bicycle Mayor
ko-fi.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:42 PM
I’ve attended dozens of public consultations for new and upcoming cycling infrastructure projects in Guelph. I ask one question every time:

“Has funding for winter maintenance been included in this project’s lifecycle costs?”

Often, the answer is vague.....
November 7, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Guelph’s volunteers are filling the gaps left by budget cuts: running safety education, community events, and engagement that staff can no longer afford to.

We can’t build sustainability on unpaid labour while cutting the very services those volunteers rely on.

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
November 7, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Bill 56 treats safety like a nuisance.
Communities know it’s an investment that pays us back in fewer crashes, fuller lives, lower costs.
Cutting safety isn’t saving money.
It’s spending lives.
#onpoli #Bill56 #VisionZero
November 7, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Governance risk=when your adopted policies outpace your implementation.

Guelph’s 2026 budget update slows critical Vision Zero delivery: sidewalk infill, cycling connections, TDM, and transit amenities.

These aren’t nice-to-haves they’re the infrastructure that converts commitments into outcomes.
October 30, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Guelph has pledged to reduce emissions 63% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050. Eliminating winter cycling and slowing pedestrian upgrades directly contradict those commitments.” In fact, the draft budget itself warns these cuts will “slow progress on modal shift and environmental objectives."
October 30, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Safety shouldn’t depend on your mode of travel, ability or your income.

Youth, seniors, people with disabilities and lower incomes often rely on sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit stops.

Deferring these projects to save on property tax is deferring their right to safety

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
October 30, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The proposed reductions: ending winter snow removal for on-street bike lanes ($650k), cutting Active Transportation programming ($254k), and deferring the Pedestrian Master Plan ($250k); may appear to save dollars in the short term, but...
October 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
1. Paying transport costs so that disabled kids can get to school is good.
2. Maybe we could address the "safety reasons" that prevent kids who could walk doing so - let's guess it's mainly drivers.
3. Public and active transport is underfunded, they want to cut Motability - it's giving "stay home."
so what? all these stories boil down to 'we want a young, educated, healthy workforce but we don't want to spend any money whatsoever or make sure more parents have good pay and conditions to make it happen' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Councils paying school transport costs for 470,000 pupils in England
Local authorities say the cost of providing school transport is becoming
www.bbc.co.uk
October 28, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Reposted by Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
Fares being hiked as high as 7.69% (Cash Fare) and the monthly cap will hit $100 by 2027....and yet buses are late, stuck in traffic, filled to the brim.....delayed investments, slowed electric bus purchases....so much for "getting our house in order"

It's time to #Fightforyourride #Guelph
We’re technically investing in transit.
✅ Route 98 (someday)
✅ Free rides for youth/seniors (great! wonderful! thank you!)
❌ Still waiting 4 YEARS for faster, reliable bus service citywide. (Quality Transit Network, now pushed to 2029)

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
@taaguelph.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Trails were last year’s cut. This year we’re proposing slowing sidewalks and crosswalks. That hits everyone on foot. Everyone at some point is a pedestrian. Everyone should care how the budget treats us.

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
October 28, 2025 at 10:01 PM
We’re technically investing in transit.
✅ Route 98 (someday)
✅ Free rides for youth/seniors (great! wonderful! thank you!)
❌ Still waiting 4 YEARS for faster, reliable bus service citywide. (Quality Transit Network, now pushed to 2029)

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
@taaguelph.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 4:30 PM
BREAKING:
Winter bike lanes won’t be plowed in Guelph this year if the 

But roads?
Roads stay clear.

Because in this budget:
🚗 = essential
🚌🚲 = optional
🚶‍♂️🧑‍🦽 = invisible

#GuelphMunicipalBudget
October 28, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Draft 2026 Budget targets a 3.17% property tax increase (achieved by service cuts)

These cuts won’t fall evenly. They will hit hardest for residents who rely on affordable, safe, and accessible ways to get to work, medical appointments, groceries... our essentials.

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
October 27, 2025 at 10:01 PM
“Lowest tax increase in Ontario” = highest cost for those without cars.

Cutting bike lane plowing, pedestrian safety and transit to save $25/month?

When the monthly transit fare cap is $94.05 that’s hardly affordability.

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
@taaguelph.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Safety isn’t seasonal.
Accessibility isn’t negotiable.
Climate goals don’t pause for winter.

Call it what it is:
A choice.
One that leaves people stranded in the cold.

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
October 27, 2025 at 6:37 PM
When we shut down or deprioritize winter corridors for people using walking, biking or rolling; we are effectively telling those residents: your access, your safety, and your independence is seasonal.

#GuelphMunicipalBudget2026
October 27, 2025 at 5:33 PM
The Budget Deferral
Always promises that “next year will be different.”
October 24, 2025 at 5:07 PM
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
October 24, 2025 at 2:01 PM
"Traffic flow should not be affected"

Cycle lane closed.... And possibly sidewalk barriers at Victoria Rd S bridge #Guelph
October 22, 2025 at 4:27 PM
You might not notice me
You might even ask if I was there because my easy to spot bright red hair didn’t capture any photos

But I’m the one thinking about the people who weren't invited
the questions you never thought to ask and mirror the perspectives that are hard to face

That’s leadership too
October 21, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Reposted by Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
Proposed #GuelphMunicipalBudget

Would you pay $2–$5 a month for me NOT to take the lane on Woolwich and Gordon this winter?

Because that’s literally what we’re talking about.
That’s the “savings” from cutting winter bike-lane maintenance at $650k.
October 20, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Proposed #MunicipalBudgetCuts in #Guelph

No winter maintenance for on street bicycle lanes means I'll have to take the lane in one of our major corridors.

Don't honk at me I'm balancing the municipal budget! 😳

*There is nothing that I won't turn into a sticker
October 21, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Reposted by Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
Endless gratitude to ARC for supporting us for a memorial ride that honoured a life lost. I'm so proud of Guelph's cycling family for coming together in solidarity. #NoOneCyclesAlone
#GhostBike #Guelph
October 19, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Bicycle Mayor of Guelph
Whether you make it to our presentation with @taaguelph.bsky.social or not please let us know your dreams for a future Guelph
October 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM