There is safety in numbers and there's little chance that you'll see any significant portion of the population mixing with traffic on main streets. If you can't

There is safety in numbers and there's little chance that you'll see any significant portion of the population mixing with traffic on main streets. If you can't expect children and families to ride there, it's not safe enough. On side streets with little car traffic it often does make sense not to separate infrastructure, but traffic calming is then particularly important. http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2010/11/reality-vs-myth-dangers-of-dutch-cycle.html?m=1 http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2010/11/reality-vs-myth... That said: > Every accident I had was one where I was in a designated bike lane, and the car crossed it to turn or enter a parking lot in an opening. A "designated bike lane" that's just a strip of paint is also not enough for exactly that reason, and if the bike lane (even a protected one) is frequently interrupted by curb cuts into parking lots that's likewise not bike-friendly design.