This was a Critical Mass event, which is why the bicyclists are taking up all of the street as a way to reclaim the streets and protest the lack of safety for riders under usual conditions. It’s not legal, but protests are never useful if they’re fully legal now, are they.
I said it elsewhere but it’s worth repeating here that fighting drivers is fighting the wrong fight. Fight the government.
Even if you convince the drivers that you’re right, nothing changes.
Those cyclists? Many are drivers. This is a community event that builds solidarity and changes driver attitudes by mobilizing them against the vehicular violence we are all currently subject to. A critical mass ride has hundreds or even thousands of participants. It changes the way THEY think about cars, bikes, traffic, and public safety.
If you don’t change driver attitudes, fighting the government is pointless. We’re getting bike lanes TORN OUT right now, because it’s popular politics.
NGL, you’re fighting the drivers for this, just in a different medium. You think the government is just doing shit for kicks and giggles? Nah, they don’t put in bike lanes because too many residents complain when they lose their parking lanes to bike lanes, or the road gets widened solely to add a bike lane.
Sure there are some cases where the govt is making a bad decision, but don’t think that you don’t need to argue with those same people, just in a Public Information Session instead of on the road.
The drivers are the ones pushing the government to not expand bike infrastructure. There are massive complaints anytime bike Lanes or other protection is installed in major cities and anytime it’s put up to a vote it’s the car drivers out there voting no
Seriously, like has that dude never heard of a NIMBY?
Drivers fight tooth and nail to prevent anything from being implemented if it means they incur even the most mild of inconvenience.