Wish to comment on City of Guelph transportation survey that I’ve just completed.

Missing from the survey was the opportunity to add comments. Here are mine.

i use my car to travel to most activities including appts, socializing & shopping. However, when I only need a few items I incorporate that into my daily hour long walk.

As a rule, taking the bus would take longer than driving my car.

Driving within Guelph is much less enjoyable than in the past thanks to lower speed limits - 40 in residential areas & the 24/7 limit of 30 in school areas which is ridiculous at night, increased traffic volume, & long waits at traffic lights.

I have worked remotely since Covid. Prior to that I walked to work (for 30 years) - at a clip it takes 12 minutes. If we had to return to the office I would walk, not drive.

Using the bus or walking for grocery shopping isn’t practical - too much to carry. Time wise the bus isn’t feasible for appt’s or socializing either. Although I have lived in the same area of Guelph since 1985, I have only a few friends within walking distance whom I see very occasionally. Most Guelph friends are too distant (Paisley & Edinburgh, Village by the Arboretum, Terraview Crescent.) I live near Waverley Drive school. Even to walk at Riverside Park I will drive to the park to start my walk. It’s a 20 min. walk from my house to the park with constant traffic on Waverley, not restful when seeking silence. Since Covid the park is now so busy that I drive to the Kissing Bridge trail at Ariss or to the dam at Guelph Lake for a quiet walk. Guelph needs more park area - Yorklands as an urban park would be a welcome enhancement now & into the future.

For safety reasons I only bicycle on rural trails & never on roads used by cars. It is not financially viable to provide enough barriers/dedicated lanes to make city cycling safe.

thanks for reading this.