City Council Agenda - November 26, 2012 - City of Guelph

Attachment 1Urban design has contributed to the isolation of some older adults and resulted in their inability toage in place. Urban sprawl has contributed to a dependence on cars. There is a lack of walkableaccess to many services.“Food deserts” have been identified in some part of the city where people without cars do not haveaccess to fresh foods. Even when older adults drive there is insufficient parking close enough toessential services such as doctors’ offices.Traffic lights do not stay green long enough for older adults to cross. In some places, even youngpeople have to run to get across in time. A very visible example of this is the traffic lights onWoolwich Avenue at the entrance to the Evergreen Seniors’ Centre, clearly a busy intersection usedby older adults where the length of the signal is too short for safe crossing.In at least one building in the city, people in wheelchairs have been known to get trapped betweendoors.2. Transportation (accessibility, affordability, routes, waiting areas, security, street signage, lighting,parking)Accessible affordable public transportation was reported as essential if older adults are going tomaintain their independence and have a good quality of life. Key themes that ran throughout thediscussions about transportation were walking distances, the need for adequate seating at bus stops,affordability and timely access to bathrooms.LikesPeople generally liked the mobility services, the new kneeling buses, the affordable bus passes andnew community buses. They appreciate it when drivers go out of their way to be patient, polite andsensitive to their needs.The new swipe bus pass will allow the City to track utilization so that it will have good data for futureplanning. For those who can’t swipe a card, visual inspection is an option (however, not all riders areaware of this).Guelph recently received a “Share the Road” award for being a bicycle friendly city. It has over100km of bicycle lanes.The Operations Transit and Emergency Services Service Area of the City is meeting with somecommunity groups to hear their concerns. Plans are underway to provide some shuttle service fromthe bus terminal to the City core. There is interest in having a senior on the Transportation AdvisoryCommittee. There are long-term plans to install either seating or shelter at all bus stops.Older Adult Strategy for the City of GuelphPrepared by The Osborne Group, October 201223