Originally Posted by genec
Excuse me... but it seems that a simple physical examination of the situation is in order.
Splitting lanes between non moving vehicles means rideing between two lanes of vehicles, EITHER of which can move into the split area, and either of which can open a door where the cyclists is trying to ride.
Riding in a BL means that only one lane of cars (to your left) can either move or open doors... unless you ride in a BL along parked cars, in which case you face the EXACT same issues as splitting a lane between two groups of moving cars.
So a BL can be safer if it is along a curb... thus removing 1/2 of the potential problems.
Context. Let's compare apples to apples.
We're comparing filtering forward in congested traffic on a road with an outside lane wide enough to accomodate a bike lane, but does not have one, with filtering forward on the same road with the same traffic, but with a bike lane stripe.
When an outside lane is wide enough to accomodate a bike lane (but the stripe is absent), traffic usually (not always) has a left bias anyway. So most of the time, you can still pass on the curb side, if that's where you think you're safer. Sure, every now and then there will be an outlier forcing you to slow down, and maybe even pass him on the left, but overall, the slowing down that this causes probably only makes the filtering that much safer.