Originally Posted by JRA

This is true but, for some cyclists, it's irrelevant. Riding at low speeds is plenty useful for their purposes because they only want to go short distances.

I'm thinking specifically of college students that I see riding on sidewalks. The choice for some of them is not between riding on the sidewalk or riding in the street; the choice is between riding on the sidewalk and not riding at all.

On the sidewalks I'm thinking about there aren't many driveways so that's irrelevant, too. About the only pedestrians they're likely to encounter are their apartment mates or neighbors who are making the same trip they are. Most of the apartments are pretty close to the school so the trips are short.

One of these sidewalks is along a road that was part of my commute for many years. I always rode in the road but I certainly understood why students appeared to prefer riding on the sidewalk. In fact, I think it's a good choice for them. I doubt that putting those same cyclists on the road without first educating them would make them any safer. And I doubt that many of them would have much interest in education. They have limited goals - like getting from their apartment to class without walking. Riding on the sidewalk is effective for them. Even at low speeds, riding a bicycle is more effective than walking.

Education is likely to be a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. These riders are quite content riding at low speeds. All that preventing them from riding on the sidewalk is likely to do is to get them to stop riding entirely.