Halifax Active Transportation

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

I didn't dictate what you could or couldn't comment on; I disagreed with something you said (mainly the false equivalencies and the idea that active transportation advocates are wrong or uncivil for calling out unreasonable antipathy). I'm not sure where you got that idea from.

Reacting to your implications... i.e. I wouldn't do this in a car-related thread, therefore you shouldn't do it in a cycle-related thread (errr... "active transportation"-related). If it wasn't meant that way, then I retract my statement. Sometimes it's difficult to wade through some of the haughtiness of your posts... so "my bad".

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

In terms of the thread title, the opponents of active transportation provisions tend to be equally against pedestrian oriented decisions as well including pedestrianized street sections, wider sidewalks at the expense of any general road space, bump outs at intersections, etc. Their antipathy isn't limited to bikes.

I don't think that's the case, though there have been some aspects that have been (IMHO rightly) criticized, such as some curb bump outs, which appear to have created problems (by anecdotal observations) with questionable benefit. But here we have it again... more generalization of people because they disagree with some infrastructure decisions that the city has made... so I suppose if I don't like curb bumpouts I'm "anti-pedestrian"? Which would be weird as I really enjoy walking.

Re: the thread title... really, how often is anything except cycling discussed here?

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

One thing that's important to remember is that there's no point in trying to have fruitful discussions that result in compromises and common ground if one side simply isn't open to that. The anti-bike people have made it clear that they're not open to any such thing so they're a lost cause in that respect.

However, sometimes you have to look in the mirror. Having a discussion with a group that doesn't accept or consider criticism is equally non-productive. I was originally hoping to perhaps improve that level of discussion by pointing out negative labeling (for both sides, BTW, as I detest "cycling zealots" as much as "anti-bike" labels), but neither side seems to want to drop their weapons, so I now see there is no point in that discussion, since my idea was apparently super-unreasonable.

This has become silly. Can we move on?