They're here, they're bike lanes, and sometimes a really strong man can make sure you respect them.
Bike lanes. Respect 'em. Or else...
This man was riding his bike in Brazil. And lo — a car had parked right in the middle of the bike lane. So he did what he had (the strength) to do.
He got off his bike, grabbed the car, and ever so gently lifted the car outof the bike lane.
GIFs via Joe Loreto.
Here's the whole video so you can hear the bystanders cheer.
This guy is the hero we all need.
In the battle of bikes vs. cars, it's usually cars that win. But this guy proves, in his own unique way, it's not a battle, it's a beautiful dance. There's room for everyone.
New York City is a great example of this. The city has increased its commuter cycling population (people who ride bikes to and from work) by "nearly doubling the citywide on-street bike network."
That means ... bike lanes.
In real life, working together means everyone respecting everyone else's space and lane.
That means cars staying out of bike lanes and bikers staying out of the way of cars.
You might already know about the different kinds of car lanes, but do you know your bike lanes???
If you drive a car or ride a bike, here's a quick top three:
- The bi-directional protected lane (like the one above)
- The good old-fashioned shared lane, or "sharrow"
- Or my favorite, the physically protected lane
Parked cars are protecting you from traffic. Note the position of the parked cars — not in the lane! Images via TransAlt.
According to NYC.gov, commuter cycling in NYC increased by 26% in 2008-09 and has more than doubled since 2005. Bike lanes are working.
But bikes and cars can't play a zero-sum game. The different lanes work together to help prevent nasty interactions between bikes and cars. But what really prevents nasty interactions is people. Smart people. Kind people. Inhumanly strong, Herculean types of people. Now that bikes and cars are sharing more roads, all different types of people have a chance to help each other.
