A story in today's Ottawa Sun features how the new Laurier bike lanes are already hurting businesses along the avenue. According to the article, the owner of a small convenience store is complaining that his supplier will no longer make deliveries to his business because of the bike lanes. As well, the writer, Ron Corbett, notes that a masonry construction company was not able to park their vehicles right in front of the building they were working on. My first reaction when I read this was to feel bad for the business but then I stopped myself. Study after study shows that bike lanes will bring in business but more importantly...what do people think they do in Copenhagen or Stockholm or other cities with segregated bike lanes? Do they not have businesses there? Do people not shop there? Do masonry companies not work on the very old buildings of these cities? Of course they do! Clearly, the store owner has a lousy supplier. I have a feeling a smarter supplier will step in to take the business and get the stock in somehow. It can't be that difficult. I realize some people dislike the bike lanes though their reasoning escapes me...but the comments to this article are shocking. Frightening, in fact. I hardly knew such utter ignorance existed.
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