Quote:
Originally Posted by Tinordi
How is the issue of cyclist behavior relevant to the discussion of building more accessible and safe cycling infrastructure? What does one have to do with the other? If cyclists are deemed as "bad" people then they don't deserve the spoils of being able to bike around conveniently and safely just like those pure and holy motorists who never break the law or endanger other people?
Aren't they two separate conversations?
Of course they're not because this conversation is just a veiled attempt to bitch about people and lifestyles we don't like because it mildly shames or inconveniences us!
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I don't know how your takeaway from my previous post was that I'm bitching about cyclists because I don't like them, so let me spell this out for you explicitly:
I wish more people in Calgary traveled by bicycle instead of by car. I strongly support increased investment in cycling infrastructure and the construction of additional bike lanes. I don't agree with the hyperbolic Sun comments that Nenshi is waging a "war on cars", but
I wish he was. IMO, cities should be designed such that the private motor vehicle is the last choice transportation method, with walking, cycling, and public transit (in that order) being the preferred ways in which citizens travel from A to B.
The reason I said that cyclists are their own worst enemies is because (as CliffFletcher already noted in post #258), they will always represent a minority of the population and thus depend on the goodwill of the majority to ensure the infrastructure they require is approved and properly funded. Too many cyclists ruin the public perception of their entire group because they're traffic nuisances who ride in a dangerous, unpredictable fashion instead of properly obeying the rules of the road.