Originally Posted by
daoswald
I'm also not a fan of physically separate bike lanes.
- They're like riding on the sidewalk:
- Vehicle drivers never expect to interact with you, so as vehicles enter or leave the roadway via driveways or cross streets they often don't even notice the cyclist in one of these separated lanes. You are not part of their world, until you suddenly are.
I agree with all your points, but this one bothers me the most about these separated bike lanes. In Denver these are largely going in places where there is a parked lane between the car's traffic flow lane and the bike lane. Often big delivery trucks totally block the view from both sides. You are safer this way in the middle of a block but when you come to the more dangerous intersection the danger is compounded even worse because you can't see the cars and they can't see you. Before you even have time to crap your pants, a car going 30 mph can T-bone you from a left or right turn. Overall the situation is no safer and arguably less safe. And this is then taking away tax payer money that could have been used in better ways.