The terms are used by cyclists and bicycle transportation planners in the United States.
The US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration defines a "Shared Lane" as follows: In some jurisdictions, the rules of the road apply differently for a cyclist when the roadway has a WOL or a NOL.
For example, the Texas version of this law states that riding "as near as practicable to the right" is not required when a variety of conditions are present, including when "the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is less than 14 feet in width".
to be facilities which primarily benefit cyclists[citation needed]; for a road marked with a bike lane, if the bike-lane stripe is removed, what remains is a WOL.
maintain that the primary purpose of providing the additional roadway width—whether in the form of a WOL or a bike lane—is to facilitate the passing of cyclists by motorists.