Dutch treat?

[JRA]

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archiv...from-dutch-cycle-lanes/?utm_source=newsletter

Kind of brings class III bikes in to perspective. It is too bad that speed pedelecs are not allowed on paths and lanes if they don't exceed the lower class I/II speed limit because sometimes it is useful to go faster than 20, especially on open roads. Losing the use of bicycle based infrastructure in the urban environment is substantial.

 

[JRA]

"The law has been in place for decades"

This pretty much says it all. Because Switzerland saw the practicality of this those decades ago they are to be envied. With the popularity of e bikes they just meld in to the traffic infrastructure with ease it seems with no need to re-educate the public as the same rules of the road apply. As said, Simple!

Unfortunately not many countries have prepared themselves as well and are at best struggling to insert bike lanes in to their traffic layout. And even then they want to preclude use of the "faster" class bikes although the Swiss model makes so much sense. Even a country like the Netherlands that has a very comprehensive bike infrastructure obviously does not see that there can be this type of solution.

 

[Nutella]

Wow, that's a fantastic bike lane. We can only dream of such infrastructure.

 

[raymann112]

Why worry about speed pedelecs in bike lanes in the first place? There shouldn't be pedestrians in the lanes in the first place just like they shouldn't be walking down the street or a cars traveling on a sidewalk. Even if they did share the sidewalk, cyclists caused pedestrian deaths are extremely rare, rare enough to make these kind of regulations very burdensome. I don't know about Europe but in the US it's more common to be (insert virtually anything, i.e. killed by a bear) then die from getting hit by a bike.