Originally Posted by B. Carfree

True, we are an ageing population. However, oddly enough, the fastest growing demographic on bikes is...people in their fifties and sixties. I suppose they're the same ones who were riding forty and fifty years ago, but my experience with them on the road is they aren't terrified at the prospect of sharing the road with motorists. I'm sure most of them pick their roads with some care, but then so do motorists.

As far as those multi-lane expressways: those weren't built in the west, other than in SoCal, until the late seventies and later. Our DOT's were busy building freeways in the '60s and '70s, not freeway-like surface streets. One nice thing about them is they do two things: they calm the parallel streets and they often have decent shoulders (if one is inclined to ride in such a noisy, smelly place).

Where bike-specific infrastructure is well done and not merely a way to get cyclists out of the way, I'm all for it. Unfortunately, very little is well done. Give me quality road standards and follow them!