07-03-2019, 12:20 PM
Like others said, the officers may well have a reason to block access, but it is a general pattern that you see with delivery vehicles, utility trucks, and drivers of all sorts. All of them make an effort not to block a driving lane, because they don't want to disrupt traffic. This often means they block a sidewalk or bike lane or transit lane instead. They're being conscientious, but of other drivers like themselves. The goal should be to expand people's idea of road users to be more than just other drivers and to include people on transit, cyclists, pedestrians, people in wheelchairs and so on so that their actions are considerate of all users.
In this case, the police officers had a number of choices about where they could stop. They didn't stop in the middle of the street, probably because it would block traffic. They didn't stop in the transit lane, because they've thankfully been taught by this point not to because it disrupts LRT. Maybe they could have stopped in the parking lot instead, I don't know. They might have thought that it was no problem for pedestrians to get around them even (disregarding that it would be illegal for them to go on the tracks or through the garden/planter). I highly doubt they considered those with mobility or other impairments, though.
In this case, the police officers had a number of choices about where they could stop. They didn't stop in the middle of the street, probably because it would block traffic. They didn't stop in the transit lane, because they've thankfully been taught by this point not to because it disrupts LRT. Maybe they could have stopped in the parking lot instead, I don't know. They might have thought that it was no problem for pedestrians to get around them even (disregarding that it would be illegal for them to go on the tracks or through the garden/planter). I highly doubt they considered those with mobility or other impairments, though.