Riding a bike can be an excellent option for your commute, but when you cannot ride in bike lanes, it becomes a less desirable option.
That's why so many people on Reddit got upset when they saw images of cars parked in bike lanes in Charlotte, North Carolina, that were shared in the r/BikeCommuting community.
The original poster said: "Charlotte PD don't care about that parking."
The images show not just one or two cars parked in the bike lanes but a long line of vehicles, making it much more difficult for cyclists to ride their bikes safely.
When the bike lanes are blocked, cyclists have to ride around them, interfering with traffic. That can be unsafe for both drivers and cyclists.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, between 2017 and 2021, 883 people on bicycles died in traffic accidents every year on average.
The New York Times cited data from the Department of Transportation that observed: "More than two-thirds of the cyclists who died in traffic in 2023 were on roads that did not have bike lanes."
Additionally, according to People for Bikes, bike-related injuries at intersections decreased by 75% when bike lanes were protected.
In addition to bike lanes being safer for riders, riding a bike instead of driving can have a ton of benefits. You can save $150 a year or more on gas when you commute with your bike just 10 days a month.
Riding a bike has many health benefits, too, including better cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and flexibility. It can also help you lose weight and reduce stress levels, according to Better Health Channel.
Commuting with your bike is also good for the environment since it doesn't release any harmful pollutants. According to the University of California, a typical car will emit about five metric tons of polluting gas carbon dioxide a year, but bikes produce none at all.
Some people may want to reap the benefits of riding a bike, but it's not ideal when they can't do so in safe conditions.
Redditors expressed their anger in the comments and disbelief that people can be this disrespectful to cyclists.
One user said: "This must be such a common practice in Charlotte that it basically makes all bike lanes useless."
Another commented: "I had a habit of just yelling in the general direction, 'don't park in the bike lane'."
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