After some... uh... frustration with another thread, here is one of my own.
Please keep responses objective, with a minimum of hyperbole, mind-reading of "intentions", or political bias. Also this is meant only to be functions of the facilities below, I am deliberately excluding problems at the moment. I am also assuming ideal placements.
What are the functions, from a cyclist's point-of-view, of the following? My beer-addled brain (after a long work day) got a start on each.
Narrow Traffic Lane- unambiguously Facilitates taking the lane
Normal Traffic Lane
Wide Curb Lane- Facilitates sharing the lane
- Facilitates by-passing queued traffic. (Thank you Mr. Hurst!)
Signed-Only Bike Route- Increases motorist awareness of cyclists
- Indicate good route choices for cyclists
- (May) Indicate priority for snow removal and maintenance
- Bikes belong here.
Bike Lane- Increases motorist awareness of cyclists Rather, cyclist activity may be present, but out of the way.
- (May) Indicate priority for snow removal and maintenance
- Provide some separation between motorists and cyclists
- Provide a buffer between cyclists and high-speed traffic (e.g. arterials)
- Allow more predictable passing distance, cyclist control over passing distance
- Acts as a "priority lane" to by-pass slow traffic/grid-lock
- Provide a destination-appropriate stopping point at lights where bicycles are allowed to proceed but motor vehicles are not (e.g. "Only bikes may go forward", etc.) You are conflating "bike boxes" with bike lanes. This ought to be a separate category.
- Fit into a system of reserved lanes to prioritize traffic flow (e.g. advanced signals)
- Traffic calming and/or street parking management
- Bikes belong here.
Sharrows- Increases motorist awareness of cyclists
- (May) Indicate good route choices for cyclists
- (May) Indicate priority for snow removal and maintenance
- Indicate optimum position for cyclists
- Depending on position, may facilitate taking or sharing the lane "Depending on position"? I thought you were demanding that this discussion be restricted to optimal placement and conditions? I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you would drop this wording on reflection.
- Bikes belong here.
Additions?