04-13-2020, 08:55 AM
(04-13-2020, 08:06 AM)jamincan Wrote: I wish drivers actually understood that sometimes a road diet and protected cycling infrastructure can improve things for drivers too. I far rather know exactly where to expect to find cyclists rather than have to guess that they might be squeezed on the shoulder, on the sidewalk, or in my lane. Frederick between River and Bruce is 4 lanes, but they're pretty much useless and unnecessary. It would be far better as a driver to have protected infrastructure for cyclists and just two lanes with possibly a centre turn lane. You get a safer street, and traffic moves more quickly and smoothly. In effect we *can* have our cake and eat it too.
For many people cars are a core part of their identity, for others, they simply see it as a change, and they oppose all change in their lives, either way, it's an emotional response, not a rational one. Which is why you see people freaking out about traffic and demanding more parking at new developments, which is literally the opposite. This happened literally on Stirling and on Frederick.
I wish we had a better understanding how to deal with that response.
Frederick is another road that could be improved greatly with better designs. Sadly that one is under regional jurisdiction and getting them to do the right thing is....challenging.