Do we really Need Bike Lanes?

I don’t like bikelanes, I think they give inexperienced cyclists a false sense of security that makes them complacent and entitled as opposed to being defensive and flexible. DOT thinks that by adding more bike lanes that they will make cycling safer. No, in reality they are just another two lines that can be crossed by any car and constrains you in an area where you are going to be doored and right hooked. It does encourage cycling in the city, which in general raises awareness of us in the minds of cars and pedestrians. Manhattan is safer than the outer boroughs for cycling only because there are so many of us, so SOME drivers are going to look for us before they make that turn, open their doors or pull out of a parking spot. But that’s a direct result of our numbers , not the bike lanes. Go out to queens and ride in a bike lane and get ready to for some old fashioned dooring and sideswiping.
A good urban cyclist is flexible, she knows that just because there is a bike lane doesn’t mean that the car that’s wants to pullout/in in front of here is going to look for her when she rides, therefore she is prepared to ride out of the shoulder and into the car lane at any moment to save herself. When I first started riding I thought that just because I was in the right...that I shouldn’t ride defensively. It was the drivers responsibility to look out for me and if they didn’t they were wrong and, they SHOULD stop before hitting me. That mentality got me into many scary and expensive collisions and scary moments. Just because someone is supposed to do something doesn’t mean they will, that’s why we have this word called "irresponsible" I think bike lanes encourage that sense of entitlement that many inexperienced (and sadly also some experienced cyclists) seem to have. "I’m entitled to be here therefore YOU WILL STOP YOUR CAR"... and then Wham! These are the people I see stopping to argue with drivers to try to persuade them that they are in the wrong. Can anybody say Futility?

Complacency is another behavior that bike lanes encourage. Apart from bicycle lights, helmets, high vis clothing, etc, the greatest safety mechanism is a brain on full alert. There are times when I'm riding where I open my eyes wide open beyond what’s normal, just to remind myself to be extra alert.

Don’t even ask me about pedestrian plazas/ extended sidewalks....oops I mean separated bike lanes. Disasters if your ask me.

No matter which way you put it Urban Cycling is dangerous, just as urban driving is. The only way to remain safe is to be aware and flexible. Pushing bike lanes thinking that it promotes cycling safety is an exercise in futility.

I treat bike lanes as an expanded shoulder. That’s all.