One Reddit post showed what may have been a typical winter day in Montréal, Canada — one filled with snow and ice. However, it was also the day after Christmas, also known as Boxing Day, and the cars in the photo didn't seem to care about how they were violating bike lane rules.
Like Black Friday in the United States, Boxing Day on Dec. 26 in Canada is the time for people to go downtown for huge shopping discounts. Unless they plan to watch one of the major hockey events that day or chill with family, many decide to fight traffic to reach stores before dawn.
In Toronto, the traffic related to the holiday in 2024 was so bad the Ontario Provincial Police had to close a portion of Highway 401, as Global News reported. The Boxing Day traffic in Vancouver was so equally brutal that the Vancouver Sun reported it took 90 minutes to cross Arthur Laing Bridge.
Unfortunately, the heavy traffic on display also shows drivers using the bike lane.
A typical bike lane or path is narrow enough for safe bike travel. Therefore, when cars are present, they block the area for those it was meant for. Montréal drivers can correctly use some shared designated lanes marked by a bicycle pictogram or a road sign with a car and bike sharing the road.
When people reconsider their role in car dominance, they can save money by biking for free or paying less for gas by leaving the car at home when possible. Taking public transport has saved Americans an average of $1,102 monthly or $13,218 annually, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
Fewer cars on the road means reduced carbon pollution from dirty fuels. Like most major cities, Montréal has an extensive public transport system to consider — with a 24-hour bus system and metro connecting 68 stations. According to Our World In Data, using the train over a car for medium-length distances can reduce pollution by 80%.
One comment written in French translates to "that's absolutely pathetic."
"As a cyclist, this makes me so f****** angry," wrote another.
🗣️ Do you worry about air pollution in your town?
🔘 All the time 💯
🔘 Often 😢
🔘 Only sometimes 😟
🔘 Never 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Someone in insurance wanted reckless drivers to know that "their rates are high because they're piss poor drivers, and the technology to track them via their phone or car is only getting better."
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