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Tentatively down, although faith in western police to do a good job is low.
It's tricky, adoption in the west is slow but growing. Very slow though, biking as a mode of transportation is climbing YoY in Toronto's core, but it's lower than I'd expect it to be given the massive utility (and traffic).
However, another reason they seem empty is because they are significantly more efficient. Bike lanes have wayyyyy higher throughput than car lanes, so you also don't see as many bikes because they're not stuck in traffic like you are (you're only seeing the same ~12 cars in your proximity), they're already gone.
If you live in the suburbs they probably are underused though. I don't have a dog in the fight of suburban living, if suburban residents want to have 4 lane each way mega roads (and the perpetual trickle of kids and old people being killed crossing them) that is their prerogative.
I live in a suburb. Almost all roads are 1 lane each way. A few major roads are 2 lane each way with 3rd turning lanes at intersections. I have never in my life even second hand known someone who died walking around a suburb. American pedestrian deaths due to cars has exploded in the past few years, it has reached a peak of 0.0000220 likelihood per person per year of dying by being hit by a car while walking.
Our road infrastructure is not that overwhelming. The freeways are 4 lanes each way.
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I mean it's def location dependent. If I lived in the Netherlands? That's one thing.
Where I live they function like handicap spots. Do people use them and need them? Sure. Are they nearly always empty unless someone is misusing them? Also sure.
Also tons of delivery/professional bike riders weaving through traffic, going on the side walk in an unsafe way, wrong waying on a lane and so on.
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