American based, and broadly applicable in Australia. I have tried to summarise the article - but its still long: 1. Cyclists always break the law “I can’t respect cyclists because they ignore stop signs” or “Cyclists don’t seem to understand the rules of the road.” Most people see cars breaking laws every day without saying “I don’t respect drivers” or “Drivers really need to learn the rules of the road.” 2. Roads are designed for cars The roads don’t control us, we control them. We can design them to carry whatever types of traffic we feel are useful, and provide for safe and convenient passage of those different modes. 3. Cyclists are dangerous Some might say, bikers are reckless, with an utter disregard for their own safety and the safety of others. But drivers are operating much more powerful, much heavier vehicles at high speeds. And if there’s anything Spiderman’s Uncle Ben taught me, it’s that great power comes with great responsibility. 4. There’s not enough room for bike lanes without causing gridlock A bike lane isn’t necessarily reducing capacity, it’s allowing people to switch to another mode of transport. Cities have a finite size. Bikes and public transit are more space-efficient ways of moving large groups of people. 5. Cyclists just want everyone to stop driving Most cycling advocates would tell you is that driving a car shouldn’t be the default option for every outing. 6. Drivers pay for roads so they should get priority Auto-oriented design can decrease density to the point where the tax revenue generated by homes and business no longer covers the cost of maintaining roads and other infrastructure 7. Cycling is a fad Maybe tomorrow, many cyclists will wake up and realize that they’ve been duped, and that all they ever really wanted was a car. But there’s a good amount of data to suggest that won’t be the case. 8. There’s a war on cars How do I know the War on Cars is not really a thing? Because I’ve been outside my house, and seen that there are still cars everywhere. Pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users have been incredibly inconvenienced for decades, all so automobiles could get where they’re going a bit faster. Redesigning streets is not a “war” against cars. It’s just acknowledgment that they don’t have to be the only thing on the road. 9. People absolutely need cars to get around In general, drivers aren’t ferrying a couch and an elderly family member on every trip they take. It makes more sense to move beyond one single mode of transportation and give people more options and more freedom.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 06:11:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015