Installing dedicated bicycle lanes on city streets consistently boosts local retail sales, completely contradicting the angry protests of business owners who obsess over losing a few street parking spots.

A closer look

Installing dedicated bicycle lanes on city streets consistently boosts local retail sales, completely contradicting the angry protests of business owners who obsess over losing a few street parking spots. Multiple urban economic studies show that cyclists and pedestrians actually shop more frequently and spend more money over time than drivers do, simply because it is easier for them to stop and browse. When you remove a couple of parking spaces to protect bikers from getting sideswiped by massive pickup trucks, the street becomes a vibrant community space instead of a hostile concrete gauntlet. Yet, every time a city proposes a painted bike lane, local boomers react as if the government is systematically destroying the economy and personally insulting their right to park a massive gas-guzzling SUV directly inside a coffee shop. Better infrastructure literally prints money, but the car addiction is too strong