I was bumping around the Internet and came across stuff on bicycle lanes. Apparently, in some parts of the world they have a strip of the road designated specifically for cyclists to use. [I had to look it up because such a modern marvel doesn’t exist around here.]
StreetFilms has a video which advocates taking this concept one step further by constructing physically-separated bike lanes:
Many cyclists are opposed to bike lanes because: (1) they can be dangerous at intersections, and (2) they condition motorists to think bicycles should be kept off the main road. (Tom Revay offers several arguments against physically-separated bicycle lanes here).
I don’t have much first-hand experience with bike lanes. My sense is that they have their place along certain types of roads–e.g., where traffic doesn’t tend to make abrupt turns. A physically-separated bike lane is a more inviting version for casual riders who have a low tolerance for riding with traffic. That’s a good thing; the more people cycling, the better.
Unfortunately, in some cities, such as Knoxville, the road designs are such that it seems impractical to set aside even standard bike lanes–much less separated ones. Perhaps over time cycle-friendly accommodations will be incorporated in the road system, but it’s not something that will happen overnight. And it’s going take awareness efforts like this video to get the ball (or wheel) rolling.