Instead of adding a dubiously safe extra set of white lines between the main part of the road and the parking shoulder, just extend the sidewalks 3 ft or so, and put the bike lane there, between the footpath and the street. Road signs, garbage bins, utility poles, etc would stay where they are, to the right of the cyclist.
The onus would have to be on motorists to check their mirrors and ensure the path is clear before opening their doors. Cyclists would be allowed to swerve, again if the way is clear, onto the footpath to go around doors which are already open.
Convex mirrors would be mounted at every alleyway intersection to allow cyclists to see motorists before they emerge. Who must yield to whom is a debate for another time. I'm not taking sides on that one.-- 21 Quest, Apr 28 2014 Elevated bicycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_bike [normzone, Apr 28 2014] They use dividing curbs in The Hague. On main roads, bike lanes are between the raised pedestrian sidewalk and the parking lane of the road (separated by a curb). The advantage of having bike lanes at road level is that you don't need ramps when merging with the road or crossing it.-- the porpoise, Apr 28 2014 It would actually make more sense to have a recessed cycle lane.
Imagine a trench, about 4'6" deep, down the middle of the carriageway. Cyclists riding in it would have their heads just above the road surface, and would therefore be able to see around them.
Cars and lorries would be able to overtake cyclists easily, as their wheels would be on either side of the trench, and their ground clearance would enable them to pass over the cyclist's head.
Cyclists would no longer have to weave dangerously in and out of stopped or slow traffic, but could simply whizz along beneath them.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 28 2014 I was hoping for four meter high bicycle paths on pillars [-]-- Voice, Apr 28 2014 //and their ground clearance would enable them to pass over the cyclist's head//
"Decapitazione" is an excellent name for the New Ferrari.-- bs0u0155, Apr 28 2014 I'm not really seeing how ramps are a disadvantage to a cyclist. If they become airborne when taking a ramp at speed, that means they're extra-visible, and that can only be a good thing.-- 21 Quest, Apr 28 2014 random, halfbakery