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

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.

“Arguing for aesthetic appeal while bodies are lifted off the pavement is a bad look.” A woman was just killed while riding her bike near Wash Park. Kyle offers his thoughts on people who argue against making Denver’s streets safer, all in the name of historic preservation. pic.twitter.com/PODaKeRzUN — Next with Kyle Clark (@nexton9news) July 26, 2019

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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.