They should not be allowed in the sidewalk because they’re a hazard to pedestrians.
Bicycles are to pedestrians like cars are to bicycles. Every argument you can make about cars endangering cyclists also applies to cyclists endangering pedestrians.
Bicycles belong in the road because their speed is more similar to cars than pedestrians, their (lack of) maneuverability is more similar to cars than pedestrians.
Clearly three separate protected rights of way would be better than the current two
This seems demonstrably false. Bicycles can go about 10mph. Cars on a busy road will go 55 or faster. Cars weigh 1000lbs. Bicycles weigh like 10 lbs, maybe. A pedestrian getting hit by a bicycle might get some nasty scrapes. A cyclist getting hit my a car becomes a pancake. Cyclists are far more comparable to pedestrians than cars
I’ve bicycled over 50 mph. Granted down a steep hill with a death wish. (Imagine bombing down a hill at insane speeds on a 45 mph road zooming past the cars).
Realistically people can and do maintain double that speed, and even faster for short distances or on an e-bike. That’s close to typical in town speed limits of 25-30 mph
Pedestrians include kids, who may not be predictable enough for cyclists to avoid and the huge difference in inertia between a kid and an adult travelling 20 mph is more than enough to cause serious injuries
Children are allowed to cycle on the pavement here, because of that. I presume many other countries probably have similar exceptions for small children.
I can cycle faster than an ebike can go. Of course an electric motorbike can go faster but they are not allowed on shared cycle/pedestrian paths either. That doesn’t mean people don’t use them anyway, but that is already illegal.
They should not be allowed in the sidewalk because they’re a hazard to pedestrians.
Bicycles are to pedestrians like cars are to bicycles. Every argument you can make about cars endangering cyclists also applies to cyclists endangering pedestrians.
Bicycles belong in the road because their speed is more similar to cars than pedestrians, their (lack of) maneuverability is more similar to cars than pedestrians.
Clearly three separate protected rights of way would be better than the current two
This seems demonstrably false. Bicycles can go about 10mph. Cars on a busy road will go 55 or faster. Cars weigh 1000lbs. Bicycles weigh like 10 lbs, maybe. A pedestrian getting hit by a bicycle might get some nasty scrapes. A cyclist getting hit my a car becomes a pancake. Cyclists are far more comparable to pedestrians than cars
I’ve bicycled over 50 mph. Granted down a steep hill with a death wish. (Imagine bombing down a hill at insane speeds on a 45 mph road zooming past the cars).
Realistically people can and do maintain double that speed, and even faster for short distances or on an e-bike. That’s close to typical in town speed limits of 25-30 mph
Pedestrians include kids, who may not be predictable enough for cyclists to avoid and the huge difference in inertia between a kid and an adult travelling 20 mph is more than enough to cause serious injuries
Children are allowed to cycle on the pavement here, because of that. I presume many other countries probably have similar exceptions for small children.
I can cycle faster than an ebike can go. Of course an electric motorbike can go faster but they are not allowed on shared cycle/pedestrian paths either. That doesn’t mean people don’t use them anyway, but that is already illegal.