Source: LINK
But while bike lanes are clearly changing the look of downtown, they are also being met with a rise in criticism over whether the city is becoming too bike-friendly.
An 80-year-old pedestrian was killed last month after being hit by a cyclist.
And some downtown businesses are saying the city has forged ahead too quickly at the expense of retailers and drivers. The two-way separated bike lanes, which cost $3.2 million, were installed with a concrete barrier between cars along what had used to be a parking and driving lane. James Gates, who was trying the lanes for the first time in late December — two months after they were approved — said he’s been cursed at as a cyclist.
Gates said he finds the lanes, which are between cars and the sidewalk, confusing.
Are some of the people of Vancouver stupid or is it just me who think they are stupid?
Let’s look at the first emphasize: “An 80-year-old pedestrian was killed last month after being hit by a cyclist.”
This point must ‘logically’ also mean that cyclists is amongst the top reasons in the world how pedestrians are being killed right? *sighing and coughing sarcastically* I guess that the dozens of vehicular ‘accidents’ where the car hits a pedestrian MUST ALSO NOT mean anything. Therefore, because one or two pedestrians were killed by a cyclist, it must ‘logically’ mean that cyclists equates to being very bad, while driving and hitting a pedestrian with a car equates to being not nearly as bad and shouldn’t even be looked?
Seriously, if the emphasize that a cyclist killed an 80-year old pedestrian last year should be something to reconsider bike lanes, then hey, let’s take out ALL THE roads meant for cars and keep ONLY pedestrian roads. Hell, what if some random bloke walking down a sidewalk killed another person walking down the sidewalk? What then? We might as well take out the pedestrian sidewalks too!
No cars, no cyclists, no pedestrians. Problem solved.
Seriously, are these people utterly stupid or is it just me who think they are?
There has been WAY more cyclists being killed or injured who rode on roads with cars than cyclists who kill pedestrians who walk on cycling lanes. The reason why we build cycling lanes in the first place, is to help to divide cyclists from cars on the road. It is NEVER going “too far” with providing safety to cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.
There is a REASON for pedestrian sidewalks, just as there is a REASON for cycling lanes. Don’t be idiots.
And let’s take a look at the second emphasize: “two months after they were approved — said he’s been cursed at as a cyclist”
So you’re saying that as a driver, you’ve never been cursed at? As a driver, you’ve never cut someone off while changing lanes? As a driver, you’ve never slowed down to look at road signs and have someone behind you honk at you? As a pedestrian, you’ve never had a car honk at you, when you’re crossing the street when the orange hand was blinking? As a pedestrian, you’ve never ran across a busy street while people swear under their breath at you? As a pedestrian, you’ve never seen another pedestrian bump into each other, then rudely say something?
You’re sure about that?
I live in Richmond where there are bike lanes and shared car/bike lanes. In my roughly 7 years of riding, I’ve been cursed at by people for riding my bike about… Let me think… Zero times. There will for sure, be one day, someone may curse me for something ‘stupid’ I may do. Eg: ride through a stop sign and have a car nearly hit me. That makes sense. In fact, if I was driving a car and I missed a stop sign, I’m pretty sure I would feel the same cursing I would get riding a bike.
I have nothing against the author of this article, but if there are some Vancouverites who think it’s ‘over-the-top’ with building bike lanes in Vancouver, I think they should get their heads out of their asses and take a look at the real problems: bad drivers, drunk drivers, ignorant pedestrians and ‘blind’ cyclists.