Spokane is adding to its bicycle infrastructure. We know that.

For instance, this summer, we'll see 14 blocks of new bike lanes in downtown Spokane, allowing cyclists to pedal from Browne's Addition to the University District and back again, almost completely in their own lane. The Ben Burr Trail in East Central will also be widened and paved, connecting that neighborhood via commuter trail to the University District and the Centennial Trail. And then there's the Addison-Standard bike corridor.

Most people are probably fine with all this, but there is a vocal camp of people who really aren't. They are, generally speaking, motorists who are worried that adding bike lanes will reduce vehicular lanes, leading to congestion and a slower commute. 

There worries are likely not based in fact. Last fall, the New York City Department of Transportation released a report that showed how adding protected bike lanes not only reduced vehicular traffic congestion, but it also increased bike traffic and made New York's streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

Some of their numbers:

• Pedestrian injuries are down by 22%

• Cyclist injuries show a minor decrease even as bicycle volumes have dramatically increased

• 75% decrease in average risk of a serious injury to cyclists from 2001 to 2013

• Travel speeds in the Central Business District have remained steady as protected bicycle lanes are added to the roadway network

• Travel times on Columbus Avenue have improved while vehicle volumes are maintained

• First Avenue travel speeds remained level through project area

• Travel times on 8th Avenue improved by an average of 14% 

Does the situation in America's largest city apply to our Inland Northwest burg? Can adding not just regular old bike lanes, but protected bike lanes, be plausible in Spokane?