Sweeping the Bike Lane

This Is Not a Fake Picture

1700 block of Pine.

I seem to recall, in community meetings nearly a decade ago, people questioned the existence of street sweeping machines that were small enough to fit in a bike lane. And frankly, I'd never seen one before January 2, when I took this picture.

So bike lane sweeping machines are real. The picture is not a fake. I am not a bot.

Still, I have always been impressed with the inventiveness of the anti-bicycle crew. Back in 2016, Randy LoBasso wrote a story for the Metro detailing some of the fact-free gossip swirling around bike lanes in Philly. His focus was on a community meeting in Wash West to discuss proposed upgrades for the Pine-Spruce bike lanes. I think the meeting left us all with a sense of stalemate.

The next year, 2017, Emily Fredricks was killed in Wash West, at 11th and Spruce, and in 2019 the Pine-Spruce bike lanes were upgraded to their current state.

Memorial gathering for Emily Fredricks.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly ..."
I Corinthians 13:12

We have definitely made progress since 2016, but the underlying opposition among various parts of the community remains a constant. The basic tactics are the same: throw a lot of chaff in the air, and do your best to distract people from the fundamental issue: parking in the bike lane cripples the bike lane.

Nowadays, opponents of bike lanes frequently start their argument by stating that they are in favor of bicycling. Often they say they are bicyclists themselves. They just don't want to have a properly functioning network of bicycle lanes in Philadelphia, because that would interfere with their ability to drive their cars and park those cars wherever they damn well please. 

Of course, they don't say that last bit out loud. Instead they spray the room from a grab-bag of bandaids - how about speed bumps? A decent tool, doesn't address the underlying issue. I could go on - but enough.

The opponents of bike lanes are persistent, and they need to be watched. But we have made progress - just look at that sweeping machine at the top of this story - and I think we will make more progress this year.

"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." I Cor. 13:10 

See also The Traffic at J'aime; Flex Posts on Pine and Spruce; Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends; The State of Play on Pine-Spruce; Mayor Parker Signs No Stopping Bill.