When bike lanes first appeared in California in the 1970's they were very unsafe for numerous reasons but the highway engineers did not really care as this was a very low status type of project for them. It has not changed at all in past 50 years with the same kinds of people making the same kinds of decisions that are meant to placate bicyclists without bothering motorists. Half the city area in the USA is devoted to automobiles, both for movement and for parking and for storing them.
American motorists are also far more aggressive and far less likely to consider the health of bicyclists who they view as tresspassers and see no reason to share the roadway (and signage does nothing to change this). Bike lanes give bicyclists a false sense of security and I would not recommend using them to anyone.