"The idea that people of color don’t have an interest in biking and bike infrastructure persists—bike lanes have even been referred to derisively as “white lanes”— but researchers say the data does not back up the claim. The problem is when marginalized communities feel like their needs are being ignored in favor of someone else’s they push back. . They are pushing back because they feel that there are other priorities that they’ve been requesting and asking of the city and have not gotten, yet cities have been strategic and aggressive at pushing bicycle infrastructure. So they’re not opposed to biking. But they want housing, they want jobs, security and other things first. . People of color report these barriers to biking—fear of robbery or assault, fear of being stranded, and fear of being profiled by police—that often go unmentioned by white, affluent bike advocates. . Critics of Complete Streets philosophy say that it doesn’t take into account neighborhood problems that are distinct from a bad intersection or unsafe crosswalk. It may be that there’s a street where there’s not a bike lane or there’s not a good sidewalk, but that same street may also have problems with over-policing of Black people, or a feeling of vulnerability for people based on their concerns of gender-based harassment, or perhaps feeling insecure because of their immigration status. So the Complete Streets model is not something that encompasses those other vectors of what makes people safe or not safe. . Complete Streets advocates who want safer roadways and sidewalks must see that transportation and land use are linked, you can’t push for Complete Streets without having specific goals around economic development, job access, and affordable housing. All these things are connected and how we get people on our side." - via Bike Lanes Aren't Just A White Thing (linked in profile). . Let's not let our advocacy forget those on the margins, be an ally, center their voices, fight for them. . #cyclistazine #bikequity #mobilityjustice #completestreets #visionzero #urbancycling #citycycling #bikes #bikelanes #bikesafety #bancars #gentrificationsucks #racialjustice https://www.instagram.com/p/B6B8LWvFbVo/?utm_medium=tumblr
