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Friday Video: What if We Let Bike Haters on Social Media Plan Our Cities?

Spoiler: Nothing good!

Every time a bike lane gets built in what used to be a lane for cars, someone comes out of the woodwork to complain about how few people cycle in it — and how much worse it’s making their daily driving commute. And in some cities, mayors are even using these myths as the basis for policies to rip bike lanes out and stop neighborhoods from building new ones.

In his latest video, Nic Laporte unpacks what would really happen if we let bike lane skeptics have their way — and considering how many U.S. communities never built people-centered infrastructure in the first place, he doesn’t have to use that much imagination. So the next time you’re tempted to get into a flame war on social media, you can save yourself some peace of mind and send the haters this link instead.

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Kea Wilson has more than a dozen years of experience as a writer telling emotional, urgent and actionable stories that motivate average Americans to get involved in making their cities better places. She is also a novelist, cyclist, and affordable housing advocate. She previously worked at Strong Towns, and currently lives in St. Louis, MO. Kea can be reached at kea@streetsblog.org or on Twitter @streetsblogkea. Please reach out to her with tips and submissions.

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