I happen to live in Isla Vista, the college town of UCSB. Although not explicitly in writing, the rule of this town is that bikes have the right of way. We have somewhere around 14,000 cyclists that ride to campus and back everyday. From first hand experience this is a much safer system. The drivers are much more attentive at the wheel and the heavy bike traffic enforces that cars really don't go faster than the 25 mph speed limit