The City of Guelph, Ont., says it will be closing one lane of traffic on two roads and opening one-way sidewalks at other locations to allow for physical distancing between pedestrians and cyclists during the coronavirus pandemic.
One lane of traffic will be closed to vehicles on the Speedvale Avenue bridge over the Speed River and on Eramosa Road between the Downtown Trail and Delhi Street.
One-way sidewalks will also be installed at the following locations:
- Eramosa Road between Callandar Drive and Orchard Crescent
- Paisley Street between Dublin and Glasgow streets
- Edinburgh Road bridge between Royal Recreational Trailheads
- Woodlawn Road on the southside from Fairway Lane to 250 metres west of Fairway Lane
- Macdonell Street bridge between Elizabeth Street, Arthur Street and Woolwich Street
There will also be a one-way sidewalk near the Eramosa Road lane closure.
The city has provided a map of all of the locations with plans to start the project the week of June 8.
The locations were chosen based on physical constraints such as guard rails, railings and retaining walls, and routes that serve grocery stores, hospitals and high-volume trail connections.
Deputy CAO Keely Dedman said the changes will create more space for people trying to stay active during the summer.
“We ask community members to be patient and kind to their fellow road users as we try these new ways of physical distancing during our new normal,” she said in a statement.
Dedman said the city is trying to balance impacts to all road users and the changes are based on best practices being used in Toronto, Brampton, Calgary and Edmonton.
“Where possible, we are creating one-way sidewalks instead of closing vehicle lanes, or putting up signs to let pedestrians know a narrow spot is coming up,” she said.
“We will monitor the areas to see if need to make any adjustments.”
The changes stem from a city council decision on May 11 to support the health and wellbeing of citizens as the city adapts to COVID-19.
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