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Went for a lovely ride around Stanley Park yesterday on the newly configured road. Did the complete circuit, Rowing Club to Lawn Bowling Club, as I'd done 2 days before, with @rwittstock and our families (and what must have been several thousand others!)....
I wanted to check out the new configuration. And to understand if some of the complaints I'd seen on Twitter were valid. So much of the debate has been misinformed and, frankly, pure bs, that I figured I see first hand before judging. In looping the park on the road I saw......
on the road about 8 cars, 40 cyclists, and a Harley. I guess all the pent up demand to drive around the park had been satisfied on Monday, the first day it was open to cars. I saw no angry mamils - they had plenty of room for their seemingly cheerless "training." Drivers seemed..
...fine with the configuration. Lost parking seems limited to some road parking, the lot at Prospect Point (this bike detour is unnecessary imo), the Teahouse Lot, and Second Beach lot. I don't know how much of this is COVID-19 related and can imagine some is, some isn't, and....
adjustments will be made and some parking added back. I can also imagine that a permanent version of the barriers and signage might be less obtrusive than the current orange cones and electronic signs. There were plenty of pullouts for the carriages and slow drivers letting...
the inevitable (but still confounding) speeders pass. I wanted to say "mouth breathers in muscle cars" rather than speeders, but offence would be taken by some.
It was a beautiful ride. A warm, humid afternoon and I felt like I had the park mostly to myself. After the storm und drang of the past week, I expected something other than the wonderful peacefulness I experienced. Rather than the online ugliness, I got this instead.
And I finished off the ride with an espresso at Milano Cafe on Denman. They have chairs outside. When on a bike the decision to stop, enjoy the neighbourhood and the company of others, and spend some money at local businesses is simple and easy; no parking worries, no fuss.
