Update: December 16, 2025 – Today, Mayor Guthrie issued a Mayoral Direction reinstating funding for winter bike lane maintenance in the City budget. As a result, the City of Guelph will resume winter bike lane maintenance beginning December 16, 2025.
Guelph, Ont., December 10, 2025 – Following Council’s approved budget decision, the City is taking steps to close bike lanes and there will be no winter maintenance for on-street, separated and protected bike lanes. Multi-use path areas (for both pedestrians and cyclists) will be plowed according to the Minimum Maintenance Standards for sidewalks.
Winter maintenance season
- Standard winter maintenance runs from November 15 to April 15.
- Going forward, the City will close bike lanes annually in the winter via bylaw and suspend winter maintenance during this timeframe.
- Affected cycling facilities include all painted on-road bike lanes, curb-protected bike lanes, raised cycle tracks, and paved cycle tracks in the boulevard.
- Paved multi-use paths in the boulevard will only be cleared to sidewalk standards.
- The City will post signs at key locations to further inform the community of this change.
Why this change was made
- On November 26, 2025, during a special council budget meeting, Council approved the removal of $650,000 in funding from the City’s budget for bike lane winter maintenance.
- The Minimum Maintenance Standards under Ontario regulation provide guidance to municipalities for the maintenance of cycling facilities, including bike lanes, and other infrastructure. Municipalities may seasonally close bike lanes via bylaw, during which time the Minimum Maintenance Standards do not apply.
For more information
Doug Godfrey, General Manager
Operations, City of Guelph519-822-1260 extension 2520
[email protected]