Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
The Dayton layout was the subject of the OP and was described there.
Maybe there is a plan to replace the meters or erect physical barriers to prevent motor vehicles from parking alongside the meters at the curb; but until such time as that occurs, anyone expecting motorists to not notice the presence of parking meters alongside the curb and to ignore the standard parking procedure in their presence throughout the U.S and elsewhere, may be smoking something funny, under the influence, or may be even considered ignorant in some quarters.
You nailed it. In grad school I studied Human Factors engineering. That is the study of how people can quickly and readily adapt to a new environment by designs which are intuitive and function well. What you proposed is exactly my solution to the confusion created by their bad design. The buffer area between bike lane and the cars is necessary to keep car doors from being opened into cyclists and to provide a safe waiting zone for a drivers waiting for traffic to clear before going to their door. That is the only smart part of their design.