It's funny to be tagged in this because I'm a big cyclist and generally support bike lanes. I have to agree with you though that these "protected" bike lanes are generally bad news. I guess I count as a "vehicular cyclist." I biked daily through New York City for maybe fifteen years. During those fifteen years, more bike lanes were built (good!) and many were of the protected kind where it was separated from the street by a line of parked cars. Those were scary. Everyone who has been "doored" (the most common type of bike-car accident) treats lines of parked cars as inherent hazards. Then, yeah, when someone's unloading a truck and blocking the lane, you can become fully trapped if there isn't room between the cars to squeeze through. It's a huge pain in the ass. We should be able to veer out into traffic when faced with an obstacle, and cars should be watching out for us to do it.
The solution to car-culture won't be found on this level of pettiness, regardless.
I'm amused by this for various reasons, including the fact that I pedaled up and down the road in question many times about a decade ago and was quite familiar with it. The only time I had a problem was once at night when I hit an unexpected/undetected tree root bump though I *think* that's a little to the north of the bike lane in question.
Right now I live in Japan where there are hardly any bike lanes but lots of people cycle. In the country/small town parts of Japan you are forced to be a vehicular cyclist because there are no sidewalks or bike lanes. It generally works well though and to a degree we are all edge cyclists because the roads are generally narrow enough that not being one means you are blocking traffic that cannot over take you as the roads are often narrow and frequently have bends. In cities the same applies on small roads. Larger ones typically have the outer part of the broad sidewalk supposedly reserved for cyclists. But I (and many others) will still ride on the roads on these streets because you are less likely to collide with little old ladies who abruptly step into the cycle part of the sidewalk.
Interestingly dooring is rarely a thing because cars can't part on the street. The only time you are in danger of being doored is when you overtake a stopped delivery truck.
But I absolutely recognize the would be savior "appearance of safety" cycle advocate. I may have encountered a few of them when I lived in Carlsbad.
It's funny to be tagged in this because I'm a big cyclist and generally support bike lanes. I have to agree with you though that these "protected" bike lanes are generally bad news. I guess I count as a "vehicular cyclist." I biked daily through New York City for maybe fifteen years. During those fifteen years, more bike lanes were built (good!) and many were of the protected kind where it was separated from the street by a line of parked cars. Those were scary. Everyone who has been "doored" (the most common type of bike-car accident) treats lines of parked cars as inherent hazards. Then, yeah, when someone's unloading a truck and blocking the lane, you can become fully trapped if there isn't room between the cars to squeeze through. It's a huge pain in the ass. We should be able to veer out into traffic when faced with an obstacle, and cars should be watching out for us to do it.
The solution to car-culture won't be found on this level of pettiness, regardless.
I'm amused by this for various reasons, including the fact that I pedaled up and down the road in question many times about a decade ago and was quite familiar with it. The only time I had a problem was once at night when I hit an unexpected/undetected tree root bump though I *think* that's a little to the north of the bike lane in question.
Right now I live in Japan where there are hardly any bike lanes but lots of people cycle. In the country/small town parts of Japan you are forced to be a vehicular cyclist because there are no sidewalks or bike lanes. It generally works well though and to a degree we are all edge cyclists because the roads are generally narrow enough that not being one means you are blocking traffic that cannot over take you as the roads are often narrow and frequently have bends. In cities the same applies on small roads. Larger ones typically have the outer part of the broad sidewalk supposedly reserved for cyclists. But I (and many others) will still ride on the roads on these streets because you are less likely to collide with little old ladies who abruptly step into the cycle part of the sidewalk.
Interestingly dooring is rarely a thing because cars can't part on the street. The only time you are in danger of being doored is when you overtake a stopped delivery truck.
But I absolutely recognize the would be savior "appearance of safety" cycle advocate. I may have encountered a few of them when I lived in Carlsbad.