Originally Posted by
base2
The Zig-Zag chicane before the guard-shack at the base you work at.
I'll grant that's a rather special case.
If we extend it to "street calming" in general I find that biking through those situations tends to involve a lot of unnecessary degree of conflict with cars. Sure, we can all go single file, and that's what happens if the overall length of it is short and the cyclist is comfortable and skilled at merging to the center of the lane. But the calming measures tend to reduce space that would have otherwise been available for easily safe passing - you can see that formerly available space still there, behind the barriers and altered curbs.
Sometimes localities get "cute" and build such chicanes on bike paths, too - because clearly what a cyclist approaching a traffic situation needs is to first be distracted by a maneuvering challenge.
Optional signs signaling tire damage, implying authority (Government property, Search, guard on duty, etc...) to encourage psychological compliance and guard are merely theatrical to control the rate of entry. It is the planters/ecology blocks/necessary change of direction & associated environmental cues like speed bumps and lane widths before the guard shack do the work of achieving the desired behaviour.
So basically threats of violence - and yes, some of it at human hands.
I'm sorry but I don't buy that the gate of a military base is a good model for a civilian streetscape that somehow doesn't require enforcement.
Or at least, it's a very different model of non-enforcement than the civilian world is likely to appreciate - not hard to see civic reaction being
"well, okay, that's within the literally meaning of what we asked for, but not what we had in mind and not acceptable for our town!"
I don't doubt it works in the atypical context where you're describing it though - but posts earlier in the thread already detailed how the culture in which it exists is one with a now strong tradition of traffic rule compliance, and enforcement includes not only the policing mechanisms but also one's boss.
Additionally, much of that physical stuff is not there for routine traffic compliance as much as to slow truck bombs or the least make their intentions obvious earlier.