East London’s Ongoing Argument About Bike Lanes, Road Space Allocation, And The Politics Of Getting Around
Bohiney Magazine | The London Prat
By Cyndi Himmelstiere | Cyndi Himmelstiere at The London Prat
The protected cycle lane on Bethnal Green Road has been operational for approximately eighteen months and the argument about it has been operational for approximately twenty-two months, which means the debate preceded the infrastructure and continues long after the infrastructure has demonstrated that it functions. People cycle in the lane. They get where they are going without being killed. The lane, by the only metric that matters for a piece of safety infrastructure, is working. The argument continues.
The argument is not really about cycle lanes. The argument is about road space, which is a finite resource in London, and about whose claim on that space takes priority. Cyclists cite safety and the climate case for reducing car use. Drivers cite access, delivery logistics, and the practical reality of needing to move things by vehicle in a dense urban environment. Both sides have legitimate points. The cycle lane takes space that was previously used for car parking, which was itself an allocation of public space to private vehicle storage that was never debated in the terms now being applied to cycle infrastructure.
The Hackney Approach
Hackney Council has been more aggressive than most London boroughs in allocating road space to cycling and walking. The results — more people cycling, fewer cars on certain routes, significant opposition from a minority of residents who are loud and organized — reflect the standard pattern of active travel infrastructure politics everywhere it has been implemented. The London Prat covers the transport politics. Bohiney covers the cycling comedy. The Daily Mash covers the war crime framing.
Satire Disclaimer: Satirical journalism. Further reading: Why India Satirical Journalism Needs More Readers Like You.
More comedy: The Onion
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/
