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| Tow trucks respond to Vision council's orders for parking enforcement targeting motorcycles. |
This is the unedited version of an oped piece I wrote for The Province which was published
May 22, 2012.
It is apparent
to anybody familiar with the issue, that some councillors are not only ignorant
of the plight of motorcycle riders, but their motions are guided by a rigid ideology,
one that is fixated on only supporting pedestrians and bicycles at all costs, preventing
them from seeing the forest for the trees. In the case of VISION, the need to
pursue the ideology resulted in dismissive and undemocratic behaviour on
that day; and the shame of it is that it does nothing to help the pursuit of
their green agenda.
The movement
of all mass requires energy and the heavier the mass to move, the more energy
is required. Therefore the key to
reducing energy consumption, and emissions, is to reduce the weight and size of
mass; that is if you’re serious about your commitment to becoming “the world’s
greenest city”. The logical extension of that thinking then, would mean that a reduction
in vehicle size would reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.
Six to ten
scooters / motorcycles can fit in the space of an automobile and they generally
weigh between one tenth and one half the weight of the ubiquitous ultra light
Smart Car. Many more people can be carried, using less road space than cars on
motorized two wheelers. The latter was
seemingly lost on, or of no interest to Councillor Deal, on that May afternoon,
when she showed up to the meeting with a new motion to say that two-wheeled
commuters should pay the same as automobiles, and they should be happy to
receive a 50% “deep discount” when using pay by phone. Further, she commented
that often it’s difficult to find parking for bicycles, with the implication
being that it too should be difficult for motorcycles. In fact, Deal implied
she knew a lot about an issue that she has refused to engage in any dialogue
about for three years. She then went on the offensive, suggesting that
motorcyclists are parking in bicycle parking to avoid pay parking, instead of
acknowledging there is not enough motorcycle parking downtown and offering a
solution.
Councillor
Raymond Louie makes no secret of his priorities being for pedestrians and
cyclists (presumably none of his constituents use motor vehicles), and referred
to his experience as a former owner of a 30 year old two stroke motorcycle as
his proof of expertise as to why he believes scooters and motorcycles are no more
environmentally friendly than automobiles. He asked engineering staff how many bicycles
there are, and how many bike racks there are in Vancouver, as if the answers
had anything to do motorized two-wheeler parking. Then they all voted lock step
for Deal’s motion, with Clrs Carr, Affleck and Ball opposing. It would have
been almost funny if the consequences of their behaviour were not so unfair.
So stuck in
their ideology, that they were determined to ignore what they were told as to
why participation at meters was so low (because the present pricing is too
high, unfair, complicated, discriminatory and punitive), and why more parking
was both necessary and desirable for Vancouver; instead they issued
instructions to staff that they had better ramp up their enforcement. In the
absence of available parking in the downtown core, the edict seemed ignorant,
divisive and mean spirited to those observing and will certainly be to those on
the receiving end of her (Deal’s) instructions. Is it any wonder ordinary
citizens are so cynical about civic politics?
There are
cities all over the world that recognize the value of encouraging transit with
smaller, lighter forms of transport and they are wise to and do provide low
cost and free parking for commuter motorcycles. Vancouver’s got plenty of
unused space, it’s ideally suited to accommodate motorcycle parking and it’s
got the geography and climate to encourage people to lighten their mode of
transit for much of the year.
Nobody is trying to reinvent the wheel with respect to motorcycle parking in Vancouver. Riders want parking where available, and pricing that is fair, competitive and reflects space required. Motorized two wheelers are a realistic immediate answer to cleaner low footprint, low impact and efficient transportation. Vancouver would do well to embrace them.
Nobody is trying to reinvent the wheel with respect to motorcycle parking in Vancouver. Riders want parking where available, and pricing that is fair, competitive and reflects space required. Motorized two wheelers are a realistic immediate answer to cleaner low footprint, low impact and efficient transportation. Vancouver would do well to embrace them.
