[s0rce]

Problem here, East Bay - SF Bay Area is that parking spots are too cheap/free in most areas (except downtown Berkeley) and taken up all the time by cars that rarely move. The solution isn't current legal parking spots, if you want to run in to grab your takeout you don't want to spend 10-20minutes searching for a spot and 10-15 minutes walking from it. At the moment, sadly, the only reasonable, though you are correct, its not 100% necessary, option is to use the bike lane. We need to make parking expensive so its actually available and limited to short term, with enforcement. Sadly, without extreme fines and enforcement I don't see people changing their behavior, it seems easier to adapt the parking costs to enable good behavior.

I just read a parking meter in SF in a busy area only makes $7000/yr (one example), this seems crazy. Parking was way more expensive in Toronto where I grew up.

note: I cycle to work everyday and dodge cars parked in the Piedmont Ave and 40th St. bike lanes in Oakland constantly. Its very annoying but I also drive places and I understand the issues on both sides.

[btrettel]

Thanks for your comment. I think I am learning some important things about cycling to keep in mind when I move in the future.

It appears that local conditions influence how legitimate parking in the bike lane can be viewed. In my opinion there is no shortage of parking in Austin, but that doesn't stop people from parking in bike lanes. It just makes their excuses worse than those of drivers in NYC and the SF Bay Area, for example.