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Old 06-30-21, 07:21 PM
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canklecat
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To me, the only cycling "infrastructure" that matters is driver attitudes toward other people -- pedestrians and cyclists -- who are legally using the shared infrastructure.

If the zeitgeist of a community regards pedestrians and cyclists as nuisances, or worse, as disposable targets of opportunity, no amount of painted lines and cyclist stencils will make any difference.

I follow the local news and emergency responder news on social media and it's pretty clear there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of motorists in my area who regard cyclists and pedestrians as enemies to be disposed of. They may still be a statistical minority of the entire community, but that's still hundreds or thousands of drivers who publicly display borderline psychopathy with pride online.

The only cycling/pedestrian infrastructure that matters is an overhaul of the entire driver education and licensing system. It can be done with willpower and responsible government. If you read the entire history of European cities that are now considered cycling friendly, this didn't magically happen simply because Europeans are some sort of lovable hobbits. Nope, it took a determined effort and planning to revise the attitudes that cars were kings and cyclists were mere speed bumps.
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