Quote:
Originally Posted by 81MC
The transportation planning in this City is ####ing terrible. But are there really cyclists demanding that they get priority light sequencing and bizarro lane arrangements? Or is this just Farkas being his usual pandering to idiocy self?
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As usual with Farkas, there is a kernel of truth but his hysterical reaction is out of proportion to the reality of the situation. Nobody is
demanding anything and Calgary is still a city that caters overwhelmingly to people in cars.
But yes, there are various cycling and active transportation groups putting proposals to groups at City Hall and the Transportation Planning Committee. In some cases, they may be asking for different lane arrangements or priority light sequencing. In others they might be asking for missing connections to be filled in, or for the "covid lanes" of the summer to be made permanent.
There are pros and cons to most of these proposals, but they're not radical, pie-in-the-sky transformations (no-one is proposing banning cars from downtown, for example) so it would be in the best interests of all of us for the city (including Farkas) to listen with an open mind and debate, because that's how democracy works.
You might be surprised to learn, for example, that around the world there's evidence that smart, cycling-friendly road modifications can actually improve the flow of traffic for all of us by reducing congestion (bikes being smaller and more efficient than cars and trucks). There's also evidence that cycling-friendly modifications help us make a more inclusive city because the kinds of changes required to make a bike friendly city (i.e. space, ramps, snow clearing) also tend to help people with disabilities. But most surprisingly, it can be good for the economy too — on a macro level the kinds of people who work in "new economy" jobs want to live in modern, inclusive cities not the suburbs; and on a micro level people on bikes are more likely to stop and grab a coffee from a local business.
Or we could just dismiss the idea out of hand because a biker cut me off at a stop sign this morning so #### all those lycra-wearing freaks, they think they're better than me? Roads are for cars!