Sometimes this argument isn't purely about the infrastructure, it's in who we imagine deserves space and safety on our streets.
Designing roads for everyone means making trade-offs that may feel inconvenient or uncomfortable while we learn to use it —but life-changing (and life-saving) for others.
So yes, when we install new designs, like bike boxes and protected lanes, they may feel new and require everyone to adapt. But that’s not a flaw; it’s a feature.
These elements interrupt our current internal autopilot and require all users to be more aware of how and where they move. That moment of pause is intentional.
You say predictability matters, I agree. But real predictability doesn’t come from nostalgia of the perfect Sunday summer ride where drivers have chosen to treat you fairly. It comes from good design, clear separation, and street layouts that don’t assume every rider is an experienced, visible, of able bodied and mind adult with nerves of steel.
Protected lanes and intersections are installed there because we know who’s using these routes. They pass schools and parks.
Cities like Ottawa have had similar and even more complex designs in place for years. I was on Toronto’s newer installations this weekend —pointing out differences to my sister who doesn't care at this point because it's the new normal.
What’s different isn’t the paint—it’s the willingness to learn and adapt.
Equity in transportation means building systems that serve everyone, not just the most seasoned or in a vehicle.
Stay safe out there
—A cyclist who rides the green paint and sits visibly in bike boxes daily, uses the protected intersections to occasionally make a turn, and lives to tell the tale (it has literally saved my life)
LETTER: Predictability and cycling
Thoughts:
Sometimes this argument isn't purely about the infrastructure, it's in who we imagine deserves space and safety on our streets.
Designing roads for everyone means making trade-offs that may feel inconvenient or uncomfortable while we learn to use it —but life-changing (and life-saving) for others.
So yes, when we install new designs, like bike boxes and protected lanes, they may feel new and require everyone to adapt. But that’s not a flaw; it’s a feature.
These elements interrupt our current internal autopilot and require all users to be more aware of how and where they move. That moment of pause is intentional.
You say predictability matters, I agree. But real predictability doesn’t come from nostalgia of the perfect Sunday summer ride where drivers have chosen to treat you fairly. It comes from good design, clear separation, and street layouts that don’t assume every rider is an experienced, visible, of able bodied and mind adult with nerves of steel.
Protected lanes and intersections are installed there because we know who’s using these routes. They pass schools and parks.
Cities like Ottawa have had similar and even more complex designs in place for years. I was on Toronto’s newer installations this weekend —pointing out differences to my sister who doesn't care at this point because it's the new normal.
What’s different isn’t the paint—it’s the willingness to learn and adapt.
Equity in transportation means building systems that serve everyone, not just the most seasoned or in a vehicle.
Stay safe out there
—A cyclist who rides the green paint and sits visibly in bike boxes daily, uses the protected intersections to occasionally make a turn, and lives to tell the tale (it has literally saved my life)