Originally Posted by
moleman76
You really need more like 14 feet or more (16 feet would be good):
8 feet for the motor vehicle (not including mirrors)
3 feet clear to the bike
1.5 to 2 feet for the bike (handlebar width)
another 3 feet to clear the door zone / provide space for avoiding road debris
presto, 16 feet.
Your talking about sharing the lane with motor traffic. Chip is talking about a cyclist using the full lane. Both work well when conditions are appropriate.