Critical Mass returns tonight on the heels of Broadway bike lane decision

Critical Mass is taking place in Vancouver tonight on the heels of what has become a controversial decision regarding the Broadway bike lane, at least in the eyes of cyclists.

Yesterday, Vancouver City Council announced that protected bike lanes would not be coming to Broadway as part of reconstructing the street’s city blocks impacted by subway construction.

Many took to Twitter to criticize the decision, suggesting it was hypocritical and representative of broken promises from ABC Vancouver. On the other side, some suggested that cyclists already have options in the area.

The decision was also timed one day before Critical Mass, a cycling event on the last Friday of every month. The last major event occurred after the controversial Stanley Park bike lane decision.

The group’s description is clear about its activism, stating, “the world doesn’t need more cars, gas or oil pipelines,” but it also states that the event is a “celebratory ride and roll through the streets of Vancouver.”

You might also like:
• It's official: Vancouver City Council rejects protected bike lanes for Broadway
• "Mad as hell": Critical Mass Vancouver returns following Stanley Park bike lane decision
• It's official: Park Board approves removal of Stanley Park bike lane

OneCity Vancouver was especially critical of the Broadway bike lane decision, suggesting that Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim breached a campaign promise.

This is a breach of a campaign promise made by @KenSimCity, @MikeKlassen and @PeterMeiszner to expand protected bike infrastructure on shopping streets.

ABC voters who support active transportation aren’t getting what they were promised. pic.twitter.com/u32aBHtP8U

— OneCity Vancouver (@OneCityVan) March 30, 2023

The Facebook event page for today’s Critical Mass has around 40 people interested in the event, which starts at 6 pm. Still, the event page doesn’t necessarily represent the street turnout.

While there was a lot of frustration expressed by cyclists, there was also some pushback against them from the other side. One person suggested that ABC was doing the right thing, and others pointed out that bike routes exist on 7th and 10th Avenue. The retort from cyclists was that those bike routes are not protected, and cyclists still share that path with drivers.

Sim: there’s already full, excellent infrastructure literally one block away.

I know that’s pure spin and nonsense. I live in this area; those bike lanes aren’t safe. Parts of them are so narrow bikes need to pull over to make room for cars. That’s not how encourage mode shift. pic.twitter.com/0cwSIIH41r

— Peter Waldkirch 華彼德 (@pwaldkirch) March 30, 2023

Do you feel like ABC Vancouver made the right choice?