You see them for the brief period between them being next to you to them passing you, as compared to cars, where they're in front of you for most of the time you're driving. There just aren't many cyclists in most of them, too, because most bike lanes are like islands, they connect nothing and exist for usually political purposes rather than to actually be a usable network of transport. In cities, this is not the case, mind you, there, bike lanes are usually interconnected enough that one could use them for many trips most of the way, but in the area I live in, where the bike lanes do exist, yeah, the cyclists will pass right by, so you don't even notice them unless you're at the intersection where they are. What might clear it up is that bike lanes where I live are mostly on straightaways and they give up when a major intersection comes up, the lane just ends, and it might start back up after, maybe.
To paint the picture, imagine it's rush hour, and there's cars backed up everywhere because that's just how it always is at rush hour. You're, let's say, 7 cars from the intersection, and a cyclist passes. You see them for a grand total of maybe 5 seconds before they're too far ahead of you to see, then they turn right at the intersection, and they're gone.
Well, we come to the original statement that you had apparently a problem with - drivers don't see many cyclists but have to deal with the bike lane all the time. Even not connected bike lanes still impede traffic. Also, I don't know if you drive, but you should pay more attention to the road even on a bike, I do notice all vehicles around me, if I had not, I'd been colliding with them all the time.
Obviously, I drive, how else would I get around in the suburbs? And yes, obviously I'm aware of the cars around me when I bike. Please, stop assuming I'm being negligent. When a car suddenly switches lanes because they're about to miss their turn and they almost hit you, it's not because you didn't see them, it's because they're being erratic due to almost missing a turn. When a car behind you almost clips you, again, to make a turn, it's not because you're being negligent. The person operating the two-ton vehicle easily capable of maiming you is. Cyclists have to be constantly vigilant, drivers should be. The consequences for them are more financial and legal, the consequences for cyclists are more physical.
Here's[1] a study from Rutgers about this, it seems to conclude that bike lanes do impede traffic, but the reason is that when a bike lane is present, drivers don't speed and actually come to a stop when making a right on red, and in general, the drivers in these areas don't speed when there's a cyclist there. Speeding does alleviate traffic, but I don't really think the safety benefits are worth it.
I am not assuming anything, this "I live in, where the bike lanes do exist, yeah, the cyclists will pass right by, so you don't even notice them unless you're at the intersection where they are." indicates that you don't notice cyclists passing by (they are vehicles too).
I think I'm going to stop replying, since you continue to reply in bad faith, and assume negligence on my part, and proceeded to ignore everything else I said so you could do so again.
Comments
You see them for the brief period between them being next to you to them passing you, as compared to cars, where they're in front of you for most of the time you're driving. There just aren't many cyclists in most of them, too, because most bike lanes are like islands, they connect nothing and exist for usually political purposes rather than to actually be a usable network of transport. In cities, this is not the case, mind you, there, bike lanes are usually interconnected enough that one could use them for many trips most of the way, but in the area I live in, where the bike lanes do exist, yeah, the cyclists will pass right by, so you don't even notice them unless you're at the intersection where they are. What might clear it up is that bike lanes where I live are mostly on straightaways and they give up when a major intersection comes up, the lane just ends, and it might start back up after, maybe.
To paint the picture, imagine it's rush hour, and there's cars backed up everywhere because that's just how it always is at rush hour. You're, let's say, 7 cars from the intersection, and a cyclist passes. You see them for a grand total of maybe 5 seconds before they're too far ahead of you to see, then they turn right at the intersection, and they're gone.
Well, we come to the original statement that you had apparently a problem with - drivers don't see many cyclists but have to deal with the bike lane all the time. Even not connected bike lanes still impede traffic. Also, I don't know if you drive, but you should pay more attention to the road even on a bike, I do notice all vehicles around me, if I had not, I'd been colliding with them all the time.
Obviously, I drive, how else would I get around in the suburbs? And yes, obviously I'm aware of the cars around me when I bike. Please, stop assuming I'm being negligent. When a car suddenly switches lanes because they're about to miss their turn and they almost hit you, it's not because you didn't see them, it's because they're being erratic due to almost missing a turn. When a car behind you almost clips you, again, to make a turn, it's not because you're being negligent. The person operating the two-ton vehicle easily capable of maiming you is. Cyclists have to be constantly vigilant, drivers should be. The consequences for them are more financial and legal, the consequences for cyclists are more physical.
Here's[1] a study from Rutgers about this, it seems to conclude that bike lanes do impede traffic, but the reason is that when a bike lane is present, drivers don't speed and actually come to a stop when making a right on red, and in general, the drivers in these areas don't speed when there's a cyclist there. Speeding does alleviate traffic, but I don't really think the safety benefits are worth it.
[1] https://bloustein.rutgers.edu/rutgers-bike-lanes-reduce-traf...
I am not assuming anything, this "I live in, where the bike lanes do exist, yeah, the cyclists will pass right by, so you don't even notice them unless you're at the intersection where they are." indicates that you don't notice cyclists passing by (they are vehicles too).
I think I'm going to stop replying, since you continue to reply in bad faith, and assume negligence on my part, and proceeded to ignore everything else I said so you could do so again.