Home > Advocacy

Disturbing video reveals dangers when bike lanes are blocked for kids

Young riders forced to have a dangerous commute

A blocked bike lane in Toronto Photo by: Bicycle Mayor TO/Twitter

Bike lanes are for bikes. They help riders of all ages get from A to B. School is back, which means young cyclists are heading to school. Separate cycle tracks and bike lanes are extremely important for children who ride to and from their place of learning.

If a child is able to, riding a bike to school is a great way to start and end the day. Fresh air and some exercise with friends makes for a great book end after a full day at class.

This is the incredibly scary situation for kids when cars park in bike lanes

In East Toronto, there is a section of road that has a separate bike lane that is very popular as it’s a great way to get across town safely. The only problem is a Mercedes-Benz dealership often uses it to offload cars into the site.

Many cycling advocates have pointed out the dangers to locals who ride there. When the 18-wheeler is dropping off vehicles, cyclists are forced into traffic. On Friday, the Bike Mayor of Toronto shared a very scary situation. Several kids were riding to school at 7:30 a.m., a busy time with people driving to work. The young cyclists had to go all the way around the truck as the bike lane was completely blocked. There was an adult who was riding with them, but it’s just as sketchy for them.

It’s a terrifying situation for any cyclist of any age, but as a parent, watching this video must be infuriating.