BIKER VOICE--Now that Mobility Plan 2035 has been voted into law by the LA City Council, the “bikelash bozos” are prancing around again blowing their rubber-bulb horns and shouting out all kinds of invented “facts” (technically called “lies”) to support their contention that it’s impossible -- impossible, I tell you! -- to live any semblance of a normal life if bike lanes are striped and cars have to slow down to the speed limit.
There are spurious claims that road diets will keep emergency vehicles from rushing to the scenes of the crashes that won’t even happen as much anymore -- yet it is cars that block firetrucks and ambulances right now.
Cyclists can pull off to the parking lane or even onto the sidewalk when the sirens howl. With road diets in place, there is more room for “motorheads” to get out of the way of the serious drivers that are hurrying to save lives endangered by recreational drivers speeding to show off.
There’s the even more spurious claim that road diets will “kill business.” This one’s been debunked by actual real-world observation so many times that it hardly bears repeating: no, road diets are good for business. And it’s been proven over and over again.
The latest favorite to float up in the swamp of disinformation is, “You can’t go grocery shopping on a bicycle.”
I can disprove that one myself. For over ten years, I did all the grocery shopping for a family of three, plus pets, by bicycle. I didn’t use a trailer, a cargo bike, or an e-bike either, just a normal everyday standard bicycle with two folding boxes attached to the rear rack – with a full large bag of groceries in each one, and a big sack of potatoes or cat litter (or both) on top of the rack.
I made two trips a week to the supermarket and one to the Trader Joe’s. Easy enough. I still shop by bike, though less so now that I live a two-minute walk from two grocery stores.
I’m not alone. Above is a photo I recently snapped of bikes parked in front of a grocery store.
Yes, you can shop by bike.
(Richard Risemberg is a writer. His current professional activities are centered on sustainable development and lifestyle. This column was posted first at Flying Pigeon) Photo credit: Richard Risemberg. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 78
Pub: Sep 25, 2015
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