Originally Posted by joejack951

A cyclist is free to ride at whatever speed they choose in traffic lanes as well. It is more comfortable when going much slower than traffic to have space to allow for easier passing (space that would be there regardless of the presence of a bike lane stripe) since motorists tend to be impatient when held up for a long period of time. This doesn't mean that theoretical 5mph cyclist must or should (for safety reasons) stay off to the right at all times. There are situations when even a 5mph cyclist should not be using a bike lane (if the lane is blocked by an obstruction for instance).

Even John Forester agrees that wider lanes allow for less passing friction between motorists and cyclists and thus more comfortable conditions for cyclists who are not comfortable dealing with holding up traffic. All of this can be accomplished without muddying the waters by adding bike lane stripes. Some say that removing the stripe reduces some cyclists comfort levels on certain roads but honestly, I feel like that's a good thing as they'll tend to be more vigilant with respect to the traffic that they are a part of as opposed to the nonchalant attitude that they might have if they are behaving as though they are not part of traffic. A cyclist should not cycle on a 25mph neighborhood road with the same attitude as when cycling on a 45mph road just because they both have bike lanes.