Originally Posted by
acidfast7
why do you guys make this huge fuss over 3ft (you could squeeze a bidirectional cycle lane in 1m of space!)
That would be a squeeze, for sure! You must have remarkably steady riders and very fine surfaces on your cycle lanes.
I'd want to ride a minimum 6" from the edge to allow for potholes, crumbling shoulders, trash on the edge of the road, etc. Toss in 9" more for half a handlebar, call it 2" for fat bike tubes, and I'll take up 17" on my side of your bidirectional lane. If somebody is coming the other way with similar space requirements, we'll pass with 5" to spare. If somebody veers, we both go down.
We've got a half mile of heavily traveled city street with 9' lanes. Most of the lawn care trucks can't stay in that. I'd hate to get those guys pedaling down a narrow cycle lane towards me!