Originally Posted by
spare_wheel
it only separates bicycles by class if there is a mandatory sidepath law. moreover, its telling how upset some "advocates" get when they see cyclists in an arterial when there is a bike facility nearby. in pdx traffic planners have even taken to ranting in the media and putting up signs directing cyclists away from commercial areas.
What in the world kind of cockamamie logic is that? when there's a bike lane- and especially the ones in Oregon which are mandatory use - the bike traffic is
separated by class from the car traffic. they still can leave the bikelane when necessary, but a bike lane provided on a roadway distinctly separates, and is intended to provide, specific, preferred class space for bike traffic separate from car traffic.
To suggest otherwise, to suggest two meter wide bikelanes in germany aren't intended to provide separate lanes for bikes and car traffic, is absurd.
US 4 foot or the german, much wider bikelanes are less robustly separated from traffic than a curb or barrier separated bikelane, which are less robustly separated than a parking protected bikelane, which are in turn less robustly separated than a fully separated path network.
Each variety has its own nuance of safety issues at intersections, as does mixing bike and car traffic at regular intersections. Each intersection will have unique, context specific traffic dynamics, that change depending on time of day, that need to be addressed.
if you don't grasp these core, crucial details about traffic management, all hope is lost. You simply are unable to accurately explain, or understand the fundamentals of traffic management and preferred class lanes.
But, Honk Honk! look, you're a car like Jan!
