Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Bicycle Safety

A Denver Newscaster’s Epic Takedown of Bike-Lane Nimbys

1:45 PM EDT on July 26, 2019

Photo: 9News.com

Local news coverage of bike safety can be dreadful. So we've got to hand it to Kyle Clark of 9News in Denver.

After a group of homeowners tried to halt the construction of a bike lane on South Marion Street, Clark responded with an appeal for compassion and reason, noting that a woman had been killed at the location, near Washington Park, earlier this week.

"You don't own the street in front of your home," Clark said. "We, the public, own the street in front of your home."

"Our streets belong to everyone, so everyone can get from here to there with as little fear of being killed as possible."

Opponents had tried to justify their opposition to the bike lane — in classic Nimby style — by saying the street was in a historic district. But Clark wasn't having it.

"Arguing for aesthetic appeal while bodies are lifted off the pavement is a bad look," he scolded.

His rant is well worth watching in full.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Too often members of the local news media pander to a few hyperbolic opponents when a street-safety improvement is proposed. This kind of moral clarity is a breath of fresh air.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Too Fast, Too Furious

When it comes to speeding, why don't regulators and automakers save drivers from themselves?

November 29, 2023

Reader Roundup: What the Demise of the Intercity Bus Station Means for Passengers

Here's just a few of the horror stories we heard from readers who are struggling with the inter-city bus industry's latest push for "curbside" loading.

November 29, 2023

Highway Boondoggles 2023: Is the BQE the Queen of All Boondoggles?

New York City set to squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a polluting and outdated highway.

November 29, 2023

The Price Is Right for Tuesday’s Headlines

If congestion pricing works in New York City, City Lab predicts that other U.S. cities will quickly follow suit.

November 28, 2023

Top NJ Lawmaker Proposes Major Reforms to Fight Temporary License Plate Fraud

The new legislation follows a seven-month Streetsblog investigation that found widespread fraud involving temp tags, with car dealers abusing weak state regulations and selling paper plates illegally to drivers using them to evade accountability on the road.

November 28, 2023
See all posts