A CBC post notes that the supporters of bicycle infrastructure are using the 10th anniversary of the Burrard Street Bridge bicycle lane in Vancouver, to gently call out those who criticized the project back when it was announced.
I recall Dora's late Aunt Ina, who lived just a few blocks over from the bridge at the time, saying what nonsense a dedicated bicycle lane would be. In her view, the lane would benefit "just a bunch of cyclists" and hinder motorists.
Today, Vancouver officials say the Burrard bike lane is the busiest in North America, with some one million uses every year.
It is worth noting to those who want cycling infrastructure that data, whether gained from observation or from traffic counters, is a very useful tool in arguing for the bicycle-friendly urban adjustments.
One of the quotes in the CBC piece is from Charles Gauthier, President and CEO of the Downtown Business Association, who said, "None of us had a crystal ball back then. . . We couldn't have predicted how popular cycling would become if you made it safer for people."
Let's see, that was 2009, right? If I remember correctly, cycling advocates and planners from around the world were saying that more people would cycle if they felt safer doing it. Nothing as magical as a crystal ball was needed then, and it's not needed now.
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