I went to a public hearing on a planned bikeway. Some people thought that by saying "This road is too dangerous for bikes" that this would persuade people that a bikeway, parallel to but separate from the road, was a dangerous plan.
Other people said "No one rides bikes on this road so there's no need to put in a bikeway."
The speed limit is 40 MPH and there is not even a 6 inch shoulder. OF COURSE few people ride bikes here.
It's unlikely that I will ride this bikeway more than twice a week. My commute goes in another direction, so the bikeway will be mainly a weekend route for me.
However, the planned bikeway goes past a farm that's being converted to housing, and it connects a modest population center with a subway terminal. All those new houses will be 3.5 miles from the subway, and 3.5 miles in the other direction from banking, restaurants, public library, groceries, and other retail. It's hard to imagine, given the price of gas, that people won't use the bikeway.