Maybe all that car exhaust has ruined your attention span, and you didn't get to the end of the article where it pointed out that US energy consumption is twice that of Europeans. I could care less how many cars someone owns so long as they don't drive them very often.
Or maybe you couldnt see the irony through your cloud of self righteousness.
Here is a continent that for the most part has high density cities with close proximity mass transit connections and some of the highest fuel costs (tax) on earth managed by what some would consider socialist nanny state governments. Yet the population clearly wants individual freedom of movement.
They have identified with small highly fuel efficient cars for the most part due to the tax cost as well as the space issue (parking). Yet even so the car is still king. No matter how much the vocal minority/enviroweeny would have it, personal vehicle transportation is here to stay.
Yes Eu has some of the most amazing mass transit that we could only dream of but they have a much denser population occupying a much smaller area therefore different infrastructure costs and challenges.
Bikes and bike lanes have a role there and in some countries are utilised more than others.
For me, no matter how much the minority bike lobby howls, screams, holds its breath and moans, we will never see the same adoption rates because you cant force somebody to do something they dont want to do.
Personally I think it would be great if more people got out of their cars for just even 1 trip a week, especially in this great weather. I think more bike trails such as the Goose are warranted over under-utilised bike lanes. I see way more bikes commuting on the goose than I do on Fort St
I'm not against cycling....on the contrary, I love to ride my bike for leisure and exercise but I'm also free to choose how I commute and for me its a personal vehicle due to my job location as well as job description. Its not an excuse...its reality.
You cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear no matter how much of other peoples money you throw at it (waste?) Yes some infrastructure changes need to be done... but $200Million worth? Get real!
How many times have I heard the argument from our 'elected' leaders regarding improvements to roads such as Keating Interchange where they say "Show us the evidence" or "The volume has to be there before funding will be considered" if I had a $ for every time I heard that when it comes to critical infrastructure that is vital for our economy and safety, yet vocal minority lobby groups with (in my opinion) weak arguments somehow hold sway over these same elected officials. I dont buy it for 1 minute.
Anyway the bike lanes are already there and the safe ones parrallel the more busy ones; they are called side streets or alternate routes such as Rockland or Fairfield, Cedar Hill, North Dairy, Haultain, Old Esquimalt, Lyall etc.