That is situation-dependant. I have seen slow bikes cause backups on roads. I've also seen heavily-used bridge lanes turned into empty bike lanes. Even when fully used, the carrying capacity (people moved / time) of a bike lane can be far less than a lane dedicated to buses or even cars. (It depends on slope and traffic speed.)
> I've also seen heavily-used bridge lanes turned into empty bike lanes.
Why didn't bikers feel safe on these lanes? Why weren't they used, or are they used, you just don't see it because you aren't looking during the right hours?
> Even when fully used, the carrying capacity (people moved / time) of a bike lane can be far less than a lane dedicated to buses or even cars. (It depends on slope and traffic speed.)
I've never been in a bike traffic jam, but I've been in more than my fair share of car traffic jams in high density areas. This is because cars take up more space per person than bikes, bikes are a very viable alternative to single person random access transport over short to medium distances while busses are not if the routes don't line up well. Obviously, for traveling 50 miles, there isn't a substitute for a car, but the point of this is to make urban areas bike and pedestrian friendly for the people that live in those areas, not necessarily to make it easier to drive through them.
