I understand your skepticism. Many people share it.

This is how I see it: bicycle lanes are a logical, low cost mitigation of the negative externalities our affluent city exhibits on the rest of the world and on future generations. They are also conducive to healthy lifestyles (low impact exercise) and symbolic of the potential this city has to move towards sustainability.

Building bicycle infrastructure that is safe and thus use-able by all members of the city (not just brave road cyclists) is logical because people will increasingly come to use them. Consider the nature of the city. It is the most active and fit city in Canada. It has a comparable climate to Copenhagen and Amsterdam where over 50% of commuters in the core travel by bike. It is almost never to hot, rarely icy, it is generally calm winds and yes it rains, but that can be adapted with rain gear and in fact only gets 20-25% more rain than Amsterdam. Also it is relatively flat, incredibly scenic and quite efficient in many cases compared to cars and transit.

The really important thing to realize is that a single bike lane will not galvanize the entire city to cycle. It takes infrastructure, connectivity and familiarity before many people will start to use them. Encouraging the city to cycle will take time. That being said, a 26% increase in bicycle traffic was reported following the Burrard Street Bridge opening. Perhaps, we have not seen such a marked increase on Hornby because it was completed just in time for winter. Though, apparently 600 cyclists/day have been using Hornby despite the nasty weather.

Is the cost justified? Vancouver is making valiant steps toward sustainability and bicycle infrastructure is an affordable and effective way to so. I know this is a bit rough but compare other sustainable development such as the $2.5 billion RAV line to the $3.2 million Hornby and denman bike lanes. Thats nearly 800 times the cost and a great deal more resources for construction. The LEED energy efficient convention center cost $.9 billion and the olympic village about the same. The energy consumption of the average Vancouverite is almost evenly divided between housing, food and transportation. We need to make progress on all those fronts and cycling fits in their nicely.

I know some people don't understand the need to revise our use of fossil fuels but to me its quite clear. Since the industrial revolution some concerning environmental trends have been identified. The composition of the atmosphere is substantially altered, which has manifested in the thinning of the zone layer, acid rain and now a near scientific consensus that athropogenic climate change is underway and expected to intensify. Also, a result of increased CO2 absorption by the oceans has resulted in a 10% increase in acidity, which is likely causing the on going bleaching of the coral reefs. Meanwhile, conservative estimates of species extinctions suggests that 27,000 species are going extinct a year. Biodiversity loss equates to decreased ecosystem resilience and productivity as redundancy is reduced, keystone species are lost and niches are left unfilled.

These are global trends but local effects can be just as impacting. Have a look at the Niger delta, our boreal forest of Northern Alberta or the sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico after the deep Horizon spill. I know that bicycle lanes are not a panacea for all this but there a logical step in the much needed right direction. The benefits of cycling are also a reduced need for roads and freeways, less air and noise pollution in the city and a healthier population. For me, traffic is one of the worst things about Vancouver. Its annoying to be stuck in as a motorist and its even worse to listen to its persistent, omnipresent whine. It is actually quite conceivable that a high number of people will start biking in coming years with improved infrastructure, rising gas prices and the appeal of the 'green' movement. If even 20% of downtown commuters were on bikes the city would be more livable.

Its a terrible shame that such a polarization has developed between some cyclists and motorists. Perhaps, some people commute in from the suburbs and think they are being judged by cyclists even though they have no choice, and some biker gets cutoff by a car and then thinks that all drivers are jerks. Holding on to resentment is like letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head. It accomplishes nothing but skews rational and logical decision making. At least I am happy that the city has progressive leaders who are willing to challenge the criticism of the majority and make some bold moves towards the greater good.