As both a driver and a…

As both a driver and a cyclist I am concerned by this proposal. I do not see the need to make a blanket statement about how bike lanes should be implemented. It should be designed by city planners who have studies traffic flows and understand the broader impacts of the connected bike lanes.

More and more people that I know are looking to bikes and ebikes as an efficient and low carbon way to get around our city. We need to design smart interconnected bike lanes that protect cyclists- it can be terrifying to cycle next to traffic. It also forces me to take up and entire lane of traffic as I refuse to ride right next to the curb and have cars whiz past me, often at an uncomfortably close distance.

Average car sizes have gotten larger over the years and are still all too often filled with only a single occupant. Yes, we need to reduce gridlock, but a smart and realistic way to do that is to develop connected and protected bike lanes and improve public transit. Sometimes, but probably rarely, those things will come at a cost of a section of road that may have accommodated an additional lane of traffic. It would be foolish to create legistlation that prohibits this across the board- new lanes should be approved on a case by case basis and should fit into a holistic vision of how to encourage more alternatives to single occupants in an SUV. This legislation is regulatory overreach- bike lanes are part of urban planning and a municipal jurisdiction. City transit planners are professionals and should be left to do their job in collaboration with the councilers and mayor we have elected to represent us.