“Do Bike Lanes Reduce Congestion” Is the Wrong Question
From StrongTowns.org
The logic by proponents of bike infrastructure goes like this: If more people use a bike rather than take a car, then there will be fewer cars on the road, causing less congestion.
On the other hand, folks who oppose bike lanes say that by taking space away from vehicles, the bike lanes actually cause congestion.
So which is it? I’ve been pondering this for some time, and I’ve come to the conclusion that asking whether bike lanes reduce congestion is the wrong question.
Congestion Is Not the Enemy
This might sound counter-intuitive, but bear with me: Most of us think of congestion as a scourge that must be eliminated, but there’s a different way to look at it.
Congestion is a byproduct of people getting to places they want and need to go. A recent Transportation for America report put it this way:
Photo by Dário Gomes on Unsplash
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