Dave Larrington wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> DaWei ([email protected]) wrote:
>
>>Well, my impression based on the photo was that it was more of a
>>park-like setting than a residential area with driveways and so forth.
>>But then I only looked at the picture for a couple seconds, and of
>>course I have no idea what the rest of the path looks like. As for
>>being on the street, while I definitely agree that bicyclists are
>>entitled to use them, why is having to contend with drivers right
>>behind you and right next to you preferable to a bike path?
>
> Coz this will reinforce the opinion, already common among the Great
> Unwashed, that bicycles do not belong on the road, and THEN where would
> we be?
I just wonder how much of a factor this truly is?
There are motor vehicle drivers that don't believe bicyclists belong
on the streets, or almost equivalently, don't believe they're
required to share the road with a mere bicycle.
They feel that way with or without bike lanes.
If putting a line on a road reinforces some misinformed motor
vehicle operator's belief that bikes belong in road lanes or not
on the road at all, it's still an incorrect belief.
While a generally believe the driving public (at least in my
pedaling grounds) is quite tolerant of bicyclists on "their"
roads, it is not infrequent that I get passed by seemingly mere
fractions of a millimeter by a motorist who, despite having room
to move over, or even enter part of the other traffic lane due to
no oncoming traffic, will still decline to do so.
This happens on roads with bike lanes, no shoulder markings,
narrow shoulder markings and broad markings. Doesn't matter.
If it will get more bicyclists riding the road (where you actually
travel somewhere as opposed to recreational riding away from
interaction with motor traffic), so much the better I say.
SMH