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Question

Difficulty: EasyStrengthening or Weakening Author Assertions

Passage:
In recent years, urban planners have argued that expanding public bicycle-sharing programs in suburban districts directly reduces vehicular traffic congestion during peak commuting hours. To support this claim, planners point to a suburban county where bicycle lane usage doubled over a two-year period following the installation of twenty new docking stations. However, critics note that during this same two-year window, the local government also implemented high-frequency express bus routes connecting major suburban residential zones to commercial centers.

Statement to evaluate:
Finding that the vast majority of new bicycle-share users in the county were commuters who previously drove personal vehicles to work WEAKENS the planners' assertion that the bicycle-sharing program reduced vehicular traffic congestion.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. Finding that new bicycle-share users previously drove personal vehicles to work strengthens, rather than weakens, the planners' assertion that the bicycle-sharing program reduced vehicular traffic congestion.
The statement is false because evidence showing that bicycle-share users switched from driving personal vehicles confirms that the bicycle program directly reduced the number of cars on the road. This strengthens the planners' argument; therefore, claiming that it weakens the argument is incorrect.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target assertion and context in the passage.
The planners assert that bicycle-sharing expansion directly reduces vehicular traffic congestion, citing a doubling of bike lane usage after new docking stations were introduced.
Establishing the author's exact claim and evidence is essential for evaluating strengthening or weakening statements.
2
Analyze the logical effect of the premise presented in the statement.
If the new bicycle-share users previously drove personal cars to work, their adoption of bicycles directly removes personal cars from peak-hour traffic.
Determining whether this premise supports or undermines the causal link between the bicycle program and reduced car traffic.
3
Determine the truth value of the statement.
Because showing a shift from driving to cycling reinforces (strengthens) the planners' claim, the assertion that this finding 'WEAKENS' the claim is false.
Matching the logical effect to the claim made in the statement to evaluate its truth value.

Key Concept

Strengthening or Weakening Author Assertions
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Topics

Strengthening or Weakening Author Assertions

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