@ CB HI
I did say "at least appear to be", which was my way of acknowledging I can't read your mind.
As to the "swept clean issue" I personally have come up with (although I find it hard to believe no one else has though of it before me) the "half lanes" idea of promoting cycling on low speed roads and providing for a bicycle lane on higher speed roads as well and also keeping it swept clean by heavy vehicle traffic and not have the trash and debris collection issue that bike lanes normally have.
Namely the idea being that:
----- On all low speed roads (like 25-mph in-town roads, etc . . .) that have marked travel lanes you just put another dashed white line right down the middle of all the existing travel lanes.
----- On higher speed roads with only one existing lane in each direction or lower speed roads where the ability of cars and bikes to pass each other without going into the oncoming lane is desired you add some width to provide three half lanes in each direction (or even on only one side like the uphill side of hill).
----- On higher speed roads with two or more existing lanes each direction you take the right most travel lane and split it down the center with a dashed white line to make two half lanes. If so desired you can also add some width and add an odd half-lane to make three of them to the right of all the full width lanes.
----- Bikes may use any half lane they desire as a bike lane (and when necessary still retain the right to use other lanes) and cars may also travel in the half lanes by straddling any two of them they wish.
Thus all the bike lanes are kept swept clean by car traffic as well but its very clear that bikes have full access to all those half lanes and are even the dominant user in them since cars have to straddle two of them. Especially the case where you have a roadway where each direction (or even one in some cases) is made up of three half lanes. Much better then one regular lane with a half lane width bike lane to its right because it makes it clear that bikes aren't regulated to just the right most position and when there isn't a bike enough cars will choose to straddle the two right most half lanes of the three to keep the right most half lane swept clean by auto traffic as well.
It could also solve some "right hook" issues as well especially in the odd number of half lanes configuration and also if all right hand turn only lanes were eliminated in the process and rather cars would merge into at least a pair of half lanes to the right of any full size car lanes to make right hand turns.
Above all especially on low speed streets where every lane was divided into half lanes it would send a clear message that bikes belonged on the road and that cars were the impostors not the other way around.
On another thread some time back I modified the near view of the right most main travel lane (of two each direction) and the bike lane (right of the main traffic lanes and in the right hook zone on approach to this intersection) in another guys road view photo he posted on this forum to provide a potential example of what this could look like:
I am in no way suggesting that this would be the best solution in all areas. Point is though that it’s worth considering especially in locations where the available space is already all used up and normally you would have to remove main travel lanes in order to add bike lanes. Just put another dashed line down the middle of the existing lanes at least the right most one and you turn them into dual purpose two bike lanes and one car lane all in one. Some cyclists would prefer to ride in the right tire track one and others in the left tire track, take your pick your choice as a cyclist. And then I think in many cases I think converting a one lane in the direction of travel situation to three half-lanes is better then just adding a bike lane and making a clear segregation car-lane vs. bike-lane.
A lot of people will not like this idea for a variety of reasons but its something to at least look at the possibilities.