this post was submitted on 01 Nov 2024
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Waiting for Japan to enforce bike lanes. Cyclist in Japan have had dedicated bike lanes or marked paths on the road for many years but still use the sidewalk even if it causes problems for pedestrians.
I can't imagine voluntarily using the sidewalk over a bike lane unless there's something seriously wrong with them
I'm speaking a bit out of my field here because I'm not Japanese, but I had the impression that historically, many Japanese cities are much more amenable to share the sidewalk with cyclists (compared to EU/NA), and several of these bike lanes start and end abruptly as part of the sidewalk instead of the road anyway, right? Same goes for pedestrian sharing space with cars and bikes in their narrow streets, sidewalks are almost non-existent because they're culturally acclimatized to just walking in the street and hop on the sidewalk only if a vehicle needs to pass by.
And by looking at the ridiculously unsafe bike "lanes" they have (almost all are totally unprotected), I'd definitely be on the sidewalk if I lived there too. If you want Japan to enforce bike lanes, you gotta ask Japan to build better bike lanes first 🤷♂️
Has something changed recently? When I was in Tokyo, admittedly more than a decade ago now, the bike lanes were tiny slivers of paint. And I do mean a sliver; they were not much wider than a foot. It would be unsafe to use them in traffic.
Nothing has changed recently. Japan has had purpose-built bike lanes for decades. Where bike lanes have not or cannot be inserted, markings instruct cyclists to use the shoulder of an existing road. It depends on where you are.
It’s actually part of Japanese traffic law. Cyclist can use the sidewalk (are required to use the sidewalk) where there are no markings or lanes. But in places where lanes and marking exist, cyclist are required by law to use them.
The problem is those laws are completely unenforced. So I often experience someone buzzing me and my child on the sidewalk even though there’s a completely empty bike lane right next to it.
Interesting! Thanks for the explanation. :)