Bike lane practice and principle

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I am an avid cyclist, over 100 000 km, and I think bike lanes are wrongheaded in that they encourage separation instead of integration. Why should bicycles require special rules over and above the rules required of internal combustion powered vehicles?

[Zimquats]

I would have thought "It's obvious".

[VicHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by http

I am an avid cyclist, over 100 000 km, and I think bike lanes are wrongheaded in that they encourage separation instead of integration. Why should bicycles require special rules over and above the rules required of internal combustion powered vehicles?

Rightly or wrongly, lot's of folks won't bike without bike lanes. It encourages bicycle use.

We put white " - - - - " (broken?) lines down the road. Does that segregate traffic? Of course it does. In some cases, like on the highway, it seperates faster traffic from slower traffic. As long as cars have the right to pass bicycles on the left, we ought to find ways to segregate where possible and practical.

[Newlywednotnearlydead]

Originally Posted by http

I am an avid cyclist, over 100 000 km, and I think bike lanes are wrongheaded in that they encourage separation instead of integration. Why should bicycles require special rules over and above the rules required of internal combustion powered vehicles?

I'm also an avid cyclist and I love bike lanes. I feel much safer on streets with a bike lane because, let's face it, there are a lot of terrible drivers and cyclists on the road. Bike lanes serve as a visible reminder to drivers to respect the space of cyclists and for cyclists not to be an idiot, keep right and not ride in the middle of a lane causing road rage behind them.

Besides, the most cycle-friendly cities in the world like Amsterdam and Copehagen have bike lanes, why wouldn't we want to follow their example?