Your "bike lane" is more of a multi-use path than a lane reserved for bicycles. Cars regularly use the lane, and in the most dangerous situtations--parking and turning. The space would better be described as a bike travel/car turning/car parking lane. The pictured bike lane would also encourage drivers to right hook cyclists.
A San Francisco bike lane offical told me that when they have lanes as wide as the ones in your picture, cars use them as an additional travel lane. (Have you noticed this problem?) This creates a Catch-22. If the lane is wide enough for cyclists, cars will try to squeeze into it. If it is narrow enough to discourage auto traffic, it forces cyclists to ride in the door zone.
Finally, most standards state that bike lanes should taper off 50-200' before intersections (I can't remember the exact measurement) to permit lane adjustments. Your bike lane does not break for the curb in your picture. It's probably a driveway, but the same prinicpal applies at driveways as interestions. That's why bike lanes work best on high-speed roads with few intersections. But I've seen a lot worse bike lanes than yours.
Last edited by Daily Commute; 01-10-05 at 03:35 AM.