Originally Posted by B. Carfree

Take off the rose-tinted glasses. Every time that video showed an intersection or overtaking situation it showed the failure of their system. The only thing that prevents major carnage is the enforcement of very low speed limits. If we want to import the zero-tolerance traffic law enforcement and keep the speed limits down, then we can (and, in the one city that did so temporarily, have already) far exceed the Dutch 30% modal bike share.

There's really no magic to the segregation system. When Davis, CA had very few miles of segregated bike paths and few bike lanes it was still able to achieve over 80% modal bike share simply by enforcing the traffic laws with zero tolerance. Today, Davis has extensive bike segregation facilities but its modal share of bicycles has plummeted. It's really not build it and they will come, it's enforce the law and they will ride.

In fact, look up the percentage of people in the Portland, OR metro area who claim to be commuting by bike in the American Community Survey. It has been essentially flat at around 2% the past four years in spite of a massive build out of segregation facilities. These facilities have inherent intersection conflicts that can only be managed through massive training of motorists, low speed limits and extensive enforcement of traffic laws. That's where we should be investing our efforts and tax dollars, not on a few demonstration segregation projects.

Sure, the above is just my opinion. It is, however, forged from hundreds of thousands of miles in the saddle in a variety of settings. I may be an old codger, but I can still change my mind. However, you'll have to do better than a few propaganda videos from a system that is less successful than what I have seen in my own experience to do so.