Why Cities Are Tearing Out Bike Lanes (And What to Do About It)
The data says bike lanes help small businesses and make roads safer for everyone. The trouble is? Nobody believes it.
Is this actually a broader trend beyond these few examples? I’m not seeing this in my city but maybe I’m in a bubble.
My city here in BC, Canada added some bike lanes to a few streets to improve cyclist safety. I think they've already been removed after extreme pushback from drivers that were having a tantrum that they couldn't do 500kph on that street any more.
Yeah it's no problem here in my city in West Aus, we never installed any bike lanes in the first place so no need to rip them out!
In all seriousness though, there is some cycling infrastructure but it's really very limited. No "network" per se.
For example, there's only one section of dedicated bike path in the whole city. Dedicated as in segregated from pedestrians and other traffic. It runs for about 500m. Cyclists need to cross about 5 side roads and the bike path is terminated before and after them. It's an absurdity really.
Regardless, when it was installed it was met with such vehement and vociferous outcry that the local government dare not install any additional infrastructure.
This is about the USA for anybody wondering.
Overweight and sedentary people who are having some hurt feelings over seeing others be active.