Interesting topic! In my neck of the desert (Yuma) we have a few decent designated bike lanes and a few bike paths. Road (pavement) conditions are generally poor. The roads are wide and straight and visibility is good so I ride on the road a lot but I prefer designated “bike spaces”. I agree that we should exert our legal right to use most roads, but, fear or no fear, if you tangle with an internal combustion machine you lose. Not exactly sure how adding designated bike paths and lanes “undermines” our rights to road use; not only is road riding potentially more dangerous and aggravates our car bound brothers and sisters, it’s generally less fun!
Yuma has a lot of irrigation canals and the dirt roads on either side are the best places to ride around here.