A frustrated cyclist encountered a ridiculous municipal decision and took to Reddit to vent.
"Nothing says 'safe cycling infrastructure' like swerving into traffic to avoid a concrete planter… It's like something straight out of a loony tunes skit," the original poster wrote. "I know bike lanes are basically an urban planning afterthought but how on earth did this make it through the entire process of proposal, planning, approval, and construction without anyone involved using a single ounce of critical thinking???"
They included a photo of the bike lane in question, showing two large planters smack-dab in the middle of it.
Generally, bike lanes are intruded upon by other vehicles, but trash bins and construction barriers have also been known to block the way. Frustrating as these situations may be, they are, on occasion, rectified. As it turns out, the planters were installed because the lane has been shut down by local administrators.
"The bike lane is closed on a temporary basis until such time that it can be integrated into a more extensive, connected cycling network," a spokesperson for the District of West Vancouver said, per the Daily Hive. "As an interim measure, temporary planter boxes and seating areas allow the bike lane to be utilized as public space."
Well-protected cycling infrastructure is key to enabling a more modern and fluid city. The more viable bikes are as a mode of transportation, the fewer cars there will be on the road, so drivers will face less congestion. Of course, cycling is also good for personal health, but above all, bikes keep transportation pollution low.
Burning gas creates poor local air quality and pollutes the atmosphere. That pollution traps heat, exacerbates destructive weather patterns, and incurs property costs from natural disasters.
Reddit commenters were flabbergasted by the sight of concrete planters in the middle of a bike lane.
"It would be hilarious if it wasn't so bloody sad," one Redditor said.
"I'm all for more plants in the city, just not like this," another replied.
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