Cycle lane

A cycle lane is a painted treatment for cycling on the road surface, and is defined as part of the carriageway.

It does not provide the same degree of comfort and protection as a cycle track, and should consequently only be used on streets and roads that carry sufficiently low volumes of motor traffic, travelling at low speeds. 

In Britain there is a distinction between advisory cycle lanes (bounded by a broken white line, and which motor traffic is permitted to drive on) and mandatory cycle lanes (bounded by a solid white line, and which prohibits motor traffic).

Current Dutch guidance suggests cycle lanes should be 2-2.5m wide, and 1.7m wide at the absolute minimum.