The Art of Decoupling

There are a lot of conversations that don’t need to happen — where we would be best-served by going in a different direction. For example, bike lanes: do they decrease traffic congestion and on-the-road fatalities — or do they increase them?

Gosh. It’s a real mystery.

Policy analyst, Chloe Brown was asked about the wedge issue during her run for Toronto mayor. Rather than offer facts and figures, she simply responded by saying: “That’s not a serious question. People have to get around.” I was an instant fan.

Here’s a shot of fairly standard bike parking in the Netherlands:

Photo credit: https://sustainablecities.travel/best-cycling-routes-in-amsterdam/

Let’s imagine the space required to park an equivalent number of cars. It’s not exactly a mystery as to whether we benefit from more green spaces, more ease in getting around, less pollution, and more daily physical activity.

There’s no question that some drivers hate cyclists. And many cyclists are combative. However, the simpler truth is that everyone is generally furious at anyone in their way, from pedestrians to other drivers. But that’s not the real problem. The idea of ignoring logical city planning and reducing politics to whoever we’re mad at is… Well, it’s very 2025, isn’t it?

A couple of months ago, two supposedly unrelated sites popped up in response to the city’s plan to get rid of parking along two different streets. For independent, grassroots groups, the sites sure do look similar.

Input your text in this areaThis astro-turfed campaign included AI-generated spokespeople… always a hallmark of sincerity and accountability. It now seems to have been led by the owner Summer Hill Market but probably has ties to the same anti-bike lane mob from Etobicoke. And it’s apparently worked — at least on Bathurst — where Toronto has scuttled its plans.

And so, we continue pretending that this is a real argument because the argument itself persists. It’s just one example of the nonsense questions we encounter every day.

  • Should the convenience of car drivers be the epicentre of all city planning?
  • Do we have the ability to affect the climate — and should we act accordingly?
  • Do small actions matter?
  • Are oligopolies good for the market?
  • Should everyone in Canada have access to drinkable water?
  • Will giving sociopaths access to huge amounts of money and power work out well?

I know that much of this debate is encountered online, instead of in your actual life. However, my hope for you (and for me) is that when an argument like this is presented, we remain centred enough to say, “This is not a serious question,” and then shift the focus to what is actually important. And if we can take a small action in the right direction? That we remember it means something.