Can you imagine the uproar if they had done it the opposite way, so the cyclists got a straight road and motorists had to negotiate a sudden swerve?
Actually, in my area of the UK we have something like that, supposedly a traffic calming feature.
Often used on roads with only a single lane in each direction, one lane is effectively blocked off with some sort of raised kerb or barrier, forcing motorists in the obstructed lane to stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear the road narrowing before they can pull into the other lane to clear it themselves.
There is a gap between the barrier and the pavement/sidewalk wide enough for a cyclist to fit through, so they can carry on unobstructed.