Shopping in Hillcrest on a Bicycle: It Does Happen

A supporter sent in the photo below of a young father and his son unlocking their bicycle after shopping at the Ace Hardware in Hillcrest, located on University Avenue. At last week’s special Uptown Planners meeting, the old tired comments that bicycle riders were either incapable of shopping or otherwise unable to spend money at local businesses were repeated multiple times by opponents to safer streets. Photographic evidence shows otherwise.

The saddest thing about this photo is the unfriendly street that this dad and his son have to navigate. By having ridden his bicycle to the hardware store, this dad freed up one vehicle parking space, and he got to run a quick errand and bond with his son at the same time. It’s too bad, that his son’s and his own safety is being subjected to endless delays and debates when evidence around the country and the world show that converting street parking into bike lanes has little to no impact on local businesses.