Editor:
I just need to point out the utter lack of perspective which has caused some people to become enraged about the new bike lane on Sixth. This bike lane takes up one-and-a-half blocks, or about 450 metres of roadspace. There are literally hundreds of kilometres of road space dedicated to drivers in this city, and the outrage over having to share a tiny fraction of it is wildly disproportionate.
The arguments these folks put forth are completely without merit. No consultation? There were two rounds, to say nothing of the election we just had. No one uses them? As of today they are not even completed. Nowhere to park? There is still parking on the west side, as well as plenty of off-street parking in the area. Dangerous? The fact that the bump-outs and curbs make people pay attention and drive more slowly actually makes the road safer.
The other thing I need to point out is that this cycle has been repeated in literally every city in the world where these types of lanes go in. Lane goes in, people get outraged, the apocalypse doesn't come to pass, and people move on with their lives, albeit a bit more safely for people outside of cars. The same thing will be true of New West.
Christian Sampaleanu
