8. The Bike Lane Only for the Courageous of Heart
There could be a very reasonable explanation for not anyone using the bike lane here. Although all bike riders are forever appreciative of practically any bike route the government builds to keep them safe, the creator of this one was most likely a fervent hater of bikers and was too happy to see them slide and fall to their doom off the edge of this hazardous path. The bike lane's placement, so dangerously near the edge, begs grave safety issues. Both the bicycles and the pedestrians would have been kept safe if they had simply placed the railing on the real edge of the bridge instead of midway across it. This supervision compromises not just the safety of individuals using the lane but also the basic reason bike routes were first developed. A well-designed bike lane should encourage safe and fun riding conditions rather than cause anxiety in drivers. Lack of sufficient safety precautions could discourage possible bikers from using the lane completely, therefore negating the goal of promoting riding as a sustainable form of mobility. It reminds us that to be really successful careful design must give user comfort and safety top priority.
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