I wonder how this road was striped before it had a bike lane.

I would guess it simply had a wide shoulder. To add a bike lane a stripe was placed along the center of that shoulder and the 'little bike rider character' icon was painted at regular intervals.

If my assumption is correct, how did this change the cycling environment?
Perhaps it gives awareness to motorists that cyclists will be on road? What else?
Did maintenance requirements change? Is the jurisdiction now required to sweep the bike lane?

Al

i bet at some point it was a narrow 2 lane road, without shoulders, and before that a gravel road. before that, a two track wagon road.


what's the difference what it used to be, al?

you are SOOO anti-facilties you can't recognize good, clean pavement to ride in, if there's a bike lane stripe.....jeesh, you foresterites have such extreme white line phobia....

i bet at some point it was a narrow 2 lane road, without shoulders, and before that a gravel road. before that, a two track wagon road.

what's the difference what it used to be, al?

So you think at the time the wide paved shoulder was added the bike lane striping was too? Was that the reason for adding the paved shoulder, to add a bike lane?

Why does it matter? Because (if it was just a single stripe added) I wonder if resources for adding the single stripe could have been used to better cycling infrastructure elsewhere. I wonder what the real gains are from the right side stripe of that bike lane. I think those three cylists would be just as content to cycle down that road if it was a wide shoulder instead.

Remember 'matter' here means just curious, wondering, discussing.

Al

here's a photo from a 70 miler out on the Kitsap Peninsula on Sunday.

Highway speed road (state highway, i think), signed bike route. edge of road buffer, bike lane. Road and bike lane and buffer were not significantly different in degrees of debris.

Where does a vehicular cyclist ride? Where would YOU ride this road?

Is there some compelling reason to avoid this bike lane - or even riding the buffer like the red jerseyed cyclists - EXCEPT paranoia about inadverdant drift? (as an aside to noisebeam, this shows bike lane stripes NOT ending 200 feet before intersections- theres plenty of minor intersections that a bike lane doesn't have to end like noisebeam's unrealistic desire of 200 feet before all intersections.)


Would you prefer a narrow laned highway speed road with no shoulder, or would you prefer riding on this type of well accomodated state highway route?

Does a vehicular cyclist choose the bike lane in this scenario? would john f. be riding in the bike lane? is it possible to be riding 'vehicularily' in the bike lane on this road?

based on the pics, I would ride in the bike lane.... however, if they took the lane away, I would still be in the same position...