canklecat

In much of the US those narrow rural roads and highways often are -- or were -- designated Farm to Market roads, hence the FM designation. They literally were built to accommodate farmers and ranchers doing business.

For years there was relatively little traffic on those roads. That doesn't mean everyone "drove friendly," as the Texas highway dept signs urged folks to do. There were always a few antisocial jerks.

The problem is that over the years and generations, many farms and ranches were consolidated or vanished.

In its place, Texans began pillaging the land for gravel to build roads and infrastructure for some other towns. Gravel trucks were the main menace here for about 20 years before the state highway dept finally cracked down on driver safety and vehicle inspections. For a long time lax vehicle inspections for in-state commercial vehicles encouraged operation of trucks with defective brakes, etc, which would never have been permitted for interstate use.

That land was abandoned, sold off and eventually developed into shake and bake homes and McMansions. Cheap gasoline and white flight from urban centers made it affordable to commute longer distances.

But infrastructure is always the last thing to change. So where we once had a few dozen cars at day, at most, we now have hundreds or thousands on the same narrow roads.

I've limited my rides to a few routes where the old two-lane farm to market roads run parallel with interstate highways. Most drivers, including the recently transplanted city folks who bought rural McMansions, eventually shift over to the main highways. So for now those old FM roads and access roads are safe.

But another 10-20 years, there won't be many safe places to ride other than parking lots of abandoned commercial buildings and warehouses.