Raise the Hammer

Absolutely wrong! Nobody wants "everyone else to foot the bill". We pay a substantial amount of property taxes for the upkeep of the roads. Only the entitled a-holes who never learned to share in kindergarten insist that driving (the most expensive and least fiscally conservative form of transport) be the only option available.

Who the F do you think you are to say that bicycles will never, in any instance replace the usage of an automobile? Most of the people in this discussion HAVE in fact replaced some of their automobile trips with bicycle trips. Many more would do so and more often if they had safer infrastructure.

Cars do offer a great deal of positive benefits. However you must also acknowledge that the benefits go primarily to those using them as an individual. When more people make the same decision to maximize their individual benefit, those benefits start to disappear. Car travel becomes slow and irritating. Having more options means greater economic efficiency.

In no way does that mean the end of cars. They will remain useful for the majority of people. We're talking about repurposing a couple of traffic lanes here and there out of some 30-40 that can be used by motorists to traverse the city.

The evidence that that bikes CAN replace automobile use is visible EVERY place on this EARTH that has invested in safe cycling infrastructure, whether in colder or warmer climates, hillier or flatter terrain, richer or poorer cities, denser or more sparse than Hamilton.

Plus, don't forget the added benefits of making speeds slower / safer for motorists, and taking cars off the road which makes it easier for those who DO have no other alternatives to get around.

Heck: even if I was solely a motorist and unable to cycle, spending money on these bike lanes is STILL a far better investment than keeping the existing oversupply of traffic lanes. No matter whether it's a cycle lane or a car lane, it still has to be maintained, which means there are ongoing operating costs that citizens are responsible for.

Comment edited by arienc on 2014-03-23 08:50:45