Originally Posted by Helmet Head
Right. And those "some" would be, well, vehicular cyclists who have the appropriate attitude and skills to cycle vehicularly, safely, no matter where they travel.
This discussion is cracking me up, because it reminds of debates I've seen on VC lists, only there the debate is not WOL with or without BL stripe as it is here, it is WOL vs. NOL. In particular, is widening a NOL into a WOL an accomodation for cyclists?
One argument is that widening a NOL into a WOL is an accomodation for motorists, not for cyclists, for all it does is making the passing of cyclists easier for motorists, which is not a benefit for cyclists, but for motorists.
The opposing argument is that since cyclists have to be concerned about how many motorists they might be holding up, and pulling over if it hits some number (like 5 in CA), widening IS an accomodation for cyclists because it alleviates them from the responsibility of having to monitor how many motorists are stacked up behind them. The rebuttal to this is that this accomodation is so minor (to cyclists), it's hardly worth the enormous costs of roadway widening.
I agree that cycling vehicularly is the best option no matter where one cycles. But as I have not cycled everywhere in the world (or more importantly in all types of road designs & topographies), I intentionally left open the possibilty that until one has extensive experience with a specific area that one can not really generalize on what specifically is best for that area.
As to WOL being for motorized drivers, I disagree. When traffic density and speed are high, having the option (but one doesn't have to give that option) to cycle to let cars pass makes the cyclist more in control and safer. I know from daily experience that blocking one of two same direction lanes in high speed traffic causes far more sudden vehicles swerves, merges, hard braking, agression, etc. Passing cars will squeze by a cyclist who is fully occupying the right lane into small gaps in the left lane at very high speeds and with inches of clearance both from the rear, side and front of cyclist.
gotta run... stopped post in progress