Sec. 14-286b: "(b) No person shall ride a bicycle with a helper motor unless that person holds a valid motor vehicle operator's license or motorcycle operator's license. No person shall operate a bicycle with a helper motor at a rate of speed exceeding thirty miles per hour; nor shall any bicycle with a helper motor be operated on any sidewalk, limited access highway or turnpike."
- per the CT DOT website

You may feel safe riding in the door zone. I've had friends and acquaintances injured and killed (yes, killed) because they've been riding in the door zone. It is unsafe. The bike lane forces cyclists to ride in the door zone; sharrows do not.

I'm not suggesting removing parking on any street. I'm drawing attention to the problem of bike lanes when there is parking. Sharrows are a safer option on streets where there is parking.

Most of us cyclists yield space to cars and share the road and are glad to continue riding this way. I will ride as far to the right of the road as is safe and urge others to do so as well.

Rachel, I think we are talking past each other. The law, rather than bike lanes, requires that cyclists ride as far as possible to the right. For streets with parking, this means the door zone (unless the parking lane is moved towards the center of the street). Puttng sharrows on a street does not permit a cyclist to ride in the middle of the lane.

I understand your feelings. But there are only two options to accomplish what you want (1) change the law to permit cyclists to ride in the middle of the lane (I staffed the Transportation Committee of the legislature for 10+ years and suspect enthusiasm for this idea would be muted) or (2) replace most of the existing bike lanes in town with sharrows (beyond the expense, I don't how much support this would receive from the cycling community).

Kevin,
I'm simply trying to draw attention to a serious matter. I'm not suggesting cyclists ride in the middle of the street. I'm saying that, unfortunately, when you have a bike lane, car drivers demand that you ride there and that the bike lane is sometimes unsafe. Ever ride the bike lane near Nica's around rush hour? Ever been honked at (or worse) for being outside the bike lane?

Given your decades of experience I hope you can see where I'm coming from. I, too, have been cycling in cities for a long time.