Tuesday was a big day for Guelph cyclists. Mayor Cam Guthrie used strong mayoral powers to amend the 2026 budget, which reversed a plan that would have left lanes unplowed until spring.<\/p>\n
But one councillor had already changed his mind about the decision a day earlier.<\/p>\n
After initially voting to cut winter maintenance bike lanes, Coun. Dan Gibson changed his stance Monday, joining the chorus of councillors and residents pushing for snow clearing to resume.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s decision to restore lane maintenance came Tuesday. But Gibson told GuelphToday<\/a> that even before the reversal, he was raising concerns about implementation and safety after seeing the first snowfall. \u201cAfter doing a drive around town after the first snow clear-out, I saw things on implementation that I had concerns about, but I was willing to take a wait-and-see approach,\u201d he said. While cycling safety played a role, Gibson said he hoped to convince council colleagues to restore bike lane maintenance through a reconsideration vote, potentially bypassing typical procedural delays.<\/p>\n How to ride safely in the snow<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The reversal followed mounting criticism of the original Nov. 26 budget meeting. That included a decision to eliminate winter plowing to save $650,000. Advocates like David Shellnutt, a.ka. The Biking Lawyer<\/a> warned the move would push cyclists into traffic.<\/p>\n The original decision sparked a backlash from cyclists and some councillors. The result? A protest ride Monday night through downtown streets.<\/a><\/p>\n