Originally Posted by
ianbrettcooper
You shouldn't ride on the sidewalk because it increases your risk by nearly a factor of two.
I think an all-encompassing risk factor is too vague.
For instance on my commute, 78th street's sidewalk is probably about 5% safer than the bike lane. HWY 99's sidewalk is probably about 1000% MORE DANGEROUS than the bike lane. Links to google maps below.
78th Street: nary a driveway or cross street in sight. Peds are quite rare as well. Debris field is far less dense and it drains better than the bike lane. Great sidewalk!
HWY 99 (the sidewalk is mostly driveway crossings! I frequently actually ride outside the bike lane since the right travel lane is so wide)