A recent study from researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico, found that protected bike lanes bring down fatalities for both bikers and motorists (at least in the large cities they studied.) So thanks City of Bloomington for the new protected bike lanes on the 7-Line downtown! And I say that as both a biker and a motorist!
BTW, have you noticed it is quicker and more fuel efficient driving from Walnut St to Dunn St on Seventh St? Narrower lanes thus slower speed, but no stop signs make it quicker for sure, so no brakes needed time and again, and you can keep your momentum and conserve fuel. Win/win).
Not to bury the lede, but another interesting poin: “Researchers found that painted bike lanes provided no improvement on road safety” and about sharrows (bike symbols painted in the middle of a lane) it was “revealed that it was actually safer to have no bike markings at all.”