My point, since you apparently wish to dance on the head of a pin, is that some states have policies within the state to ensure wide shoulders as the norm within the state... such as Oregon, (and apparently the states to the east referenced earlier in this thread) where wide shoulders for instance encompass the length of Hiway 1 and are designated as a bike lane. In contrast however, as one crosses the CA/OR border, it is quite obvious that the same policy does NOT exist in California, as the once nice wide shoulder one sees to the north disappears. Now this is not to say that an occasional wide area doesn't pop up from time to time, but it is more likely an exception rather than the rule.

On the other hand, those states that do provide a nice wide shoulder may have occasionally a narrow section, but this is their exception, whereas the rule is wide shoulders.

In California oddly enough the limited access freeways do have wide shoulders, but then cyclists are generally banned from the freeways. However exceptions exist in this case too, as certain limited areas of freeway do allow bicycle access... but again this is an exception.

So the bottom line is that here and there in California, a hiway where a bicycle may travel, such as hiway 1 (or 94, or 54 or even parts of 101 and others) may have shoulders, generally one should not anticipate and expect such shoulders throughout the state as may be the case with other states which do provide nice wide PAVED shoulders as a matter of course.

Now is that "crayon" clear enough for you?