How else to interpret this? From an interview with COPE mayoral candidate Meena Wong, in Business in Vancouver:

BIV: Do you have any thoughts about how to reduce congestion, which is a concern we hear from businesses all the time?

MW: What business people tell me is, when they try to get deliveries from Richmond to Vancouver, it used to take half an hour. Now it can be two hours. Guess where the big backlog is? Burrard Bridge. I talked to the people in Kitsilano, they say that the bike lane [on Burrard Bridge] was supposed to be temporary with a report back to the community. Vision decided to make it permanent … Now it takes double the time to go downtown. I believe in providing a better alternative for business and for residents.

BIV: Would you take that bike lane out?

MW: I would look into it, and I would see what is the best alternative. That’s definitely an area where I need to sit down with residents and businesses and cyclists as well, because I also cycle. I do care about cyclist’s safety … I want to make sure that everybody can come to an agreement.

I can understand a candidate making big policy pronouncements, even ones that are not particularly feasible or outside their jurisdiction. But one should expect a minimum regard for the facts (“double the time to go downtown”), some understanding of the implications of your proposed actions, particularly with an otherwise supportive constituency, plus options that suggest you give a damn. It’s not something you make up on the fly.

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