I think you have to be pragmatic sometimes and choose the best and safest course for you and the way you are cycling.
There is a lot of cycling infrastructure where the approving board should be made to cycle it repeatedly until they get the message that it is utterly moronic.
The designers are often having to squeeze things into where they don't fit in order to tick a box, or are designing from the point of view of the car.
There is also the consideration that some infrastructure is more designed for those who are cautious or slow, rather than a full on 25mph MAMIL.
For example in my humble home town of Walton on Thames we have a cycle lane that was installed along the length of terrace road. This drew the ire of countless elderly people and many arguments about how it would reduce the speed of traffic and cause traffic jams. Of course it doesn't. They just made the road a bit narrower. On the whole it isn't bad. Some parts are "shared" and others are segregated. But every time there is a change and at every junction there is a 3 foot metal bollard on the pavement. There is an area by the zebra crossing that creates a slalom.
Then you have all of the side roads that cross the lane, some of which are just dangerous. For example at Sidney road, the crossing point for cycles is so far round the corner that it is almost impossible to see whether anything is about to run you over.
That said, it is ideal for children to get up the hill safely and for those who are slow cyclists, although many elderly cyclists around here would rather put out their own eyes and eat their own livers than use the accursed cycle lane. They can be easily identified by the cacophony of car horns from the traffic backed up behind them (traffic which would be stopped at the main town centre traffic lights less than a minute later!).
I use it a lot with my kids, and it is very beneficial for all the children travelling to the two primary schools. It could just be *better*. A Lot Better.
Bit silly really - there aren't actually many where I live but the ones that are, cars ignore them!
but with a real point to make ...
