COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE MORTAL DANGER OF TAKING THE EASY ROAD 
“As an expert level cyclist, I would never, and have never [ridden] my bike in a designated bike lane. They are death traps and make novices overconfident. Anyone with a bike and a functioning brain can take a little time to find a safe way to bike in Houston. The idea that a bike lane should be the most expeditious route aligned with vehicular traffic will only lead to more frustration and deaths.” [The Roanoker, commenting on A Third Chateau Ten for Houston; Drafting a New Bike Plan] Illustration: Lulu
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Bike lanes that are only 4 feet of painted space next to a car Lane probably have this problem. The better bike lanes are those that are physically separated from car traffic. The best bike lanes are those that place parking in between cars and cyclists.
I’ve never ridden in a designated bike lane as Houston has them marked (has had them marked since 1993).
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I will however ride on bike paths in Houston, and it is far more safe to ride there if able.
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The bike lanes as Houston envisioned them in the early 90s are a joke, and as you mention, are more dangerous than they are helpful to cyclists.
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couple that with the fact that they are not connected in any coherent way, it’s not going to make the shortest/safest route. Hopefully the iteration that they move to will be more like Lamar street in Downtown, or the recently marked lanes on Walker by the soccer stadium.
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Hopefully lanes like these are what take over the city and replace the current ‘bike lanes’, or as they are more appropriately referenced ‘gutters’.
Just this morning I was wondering how a bike lane got added to Beltway 8 . . . and then I realized that it was just white paint dripping off someone’s tire next to the curb. That’s how low my expectations have gotten. . . .