Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Bicycling

Vancouver Mayoral Candidate Attacks Bike Lanes … For the Moms!

Word to the wise: Do not try to use single moms to make your case against bike lanes — especially on Twitter.

Wai Young, a conservative candidate for Vancouver Mayor, learned that lesson the hard way last week, after Tweeting that bike lanes "discriminate" against single moms, seniors and other groups.

Bike Lanes are divisive and discriminatory. They discriminate against seniors, single Moms and many other groups. They are a private roadway system that have been built to benefit a very specific few in society. 1/3 #commonsense #vanpoli #VanElxn18 #Vancouver #coalitionvancouver

— Wai Young (@WaiYoung) September 5, 2018

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

The Tweet inspired a much-more popular series of responses. Including this :

Hey, I am a single mum. ??. Please do not speak for me. I don’t own a car. I cycle everywhere. Protected cycle infrastructure keeps me alive, so I can care for my kids. Thanks. pic.twitter.com/fMLKqvG2XH

— Moosycle (@MamaMoose_Be) September 12, 2018

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

This line of attack reflects stereotypes about who bikes and who benefits from investments in cycling infrastructure. Men are more likely to bike than women — but in Vancouver, where a whopping 10 percent of residents bike to work, there are still a huge number of female cyclists.

An anti-bike lane group made the same argument in Seattle about a year ago and local moms had a field day.

Twitter feuds aside, Young is a pretty serious in her antagonism. The local news site, the Tyee, reports Wai spent 20 minutes at a recent campaign event talking about how horrible Vancouver is for drivers. Her plan? To blast cyclists and pedestrians with tickets until they learn "mutual respect." She also wants to make street parking free on Sunday.

Her candidacy in Vancouver, that includes some other divisive remarks, has drawn comparisons to Donald Trump, the Vancouver Sun reports. But perhaps the more apt comparison is former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who harnessed suburban votes to win election as mayor of Canada's largest city on an anti-urban platform that played on the same kinds of stereotypes and resentment Young is peddling. She is a former member of Canada's House of Commons.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Give Input on Metro Sepulveda Rail Plan to connect Valley and Westside

Metro is still deciding between some low-performing monorail alternatives and some high-performing heavy rail alternatives. What do you want to see?

July 10, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Call to Action: Car Brains Try to Remove San Mateo Committee Member for Opposing Widenings

Mike Swire fought highway widening, so asphalt-addicted bullies want him kicked off the San Mateo Transportation Authority Community Advisory Committee.

July 10, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines

Calmatters continues their great reporting on the state's lack of teeth when it comes to dealing with deadly drivers.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 9, 2025
See all posts