Ignoring that my country doesn't allow Idaho Stops, or that my Provincial Government wants to actively kill cyclists by removing safe cycling infrastructure, I've always wondered if there's a reason why cyclists aren't allowed to simply ride through an intersection like the one in the photo.
I'm talking about the right side, where the bike lane could extend through the intersection without interfering with other vehicles, including those that are turning left.
This would not only keep those stops safer (clears the cyclist out of the intersection), but would just make sense from a transportation efficiency standpoint.
Is there something I'm missing, or do cyclists have to stop only because motorists would take a tantrum if they weren't required to?
In that example, you're right. Not that it would make a difference, since there are crosswalks in places that permit Idaho Stops. But in other 3-ways, especially in residential areas, crosswalks are absent (so are sidewalks on the right side), so stopping feels... off.
Take this example:
Ignore that the bike lane "'continues" through the stop, as this stop sign is pretty new and the lines were already painted.
There's no sidewalk on the right side, and no crosswalk at those stops (only on the left side). This particular area is part of our waterfront trail, an extremely popular bike route. It would make sense for cars to stop there (they speed down this road on a regular basis), but bikes?