Originally Posted by
genec
Yup, and paths vary from the narrow park path hardly wide enough for a walk, to wide paths, big enough to accommodate a parade... and some sidewalks are wide and have sweeping turns and are just designed for moderate speed riding... say up to 16 or 18 MPH... and connect right to the "highways" of the cycling world, the well designed MUP that never sees pedestrians... as it is off and away from homes, stores, and shops, but is a shortcut past the high speed intersection close by... I can go on and on and describe all manner and means of "paved surface" that can easily accommodate a rolling cyclist... bottom line there are a lot of flavors and variations, and a simple term hardly describes them all... but certainly the "Universal Rule" of "don't ride sidewalks..." is just malarkey... And that IS the point.
What I'm saying is that where I live, "don't ride sidewalks" is neither the law nor completely universal, but it is definitely the default rule virtually all adult riders use in this region, with good reason. Your average New England sidewalk is almost certainly a more dangerous place to ride than in the average New England street. I have no idea why you think throwing the varying quality of paths adds anything to that discussion.