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I've lived off South Lakes for over 10 years. I drive, take the bus, bike, run and walk all the time here so I'm intimately familiar with the geography. I have also seen the difference that the Soapstone bike lane conversion has made and would expect similar results for a South Lakes conversion.

Turning Soapstone from a 4 lane road to a 2 lane with bike lanes, has reduced speeding, improved visibility and generally made it safer for all. I can honestly say accidents are down because of the changes. You notice these things when you're stuck in your car waiting for the paramedics to finish up. It's true there isn't a ton of bikes at any given time. Part of that is because roads connected to Soapstone can be treacherous for bikers. The bike lanes have also added the option for pedestrians to span sidewalks gaps avoid wooded paths which are dark at night or detour from the destination. 

The lack of sufficient sidewalks has always confused me considering how much use the corridor gets. Will the proposed plan for South Lakes improve the corridor over all? From personal experience, yes. Will it be considered an amenity even if some residences never use it? Absolutely! I do see the concern over the ability to pass school and connector buses. This is probably the biggest hurdle to overcome for rational stakeholders. Then again, people shouldn't be speeding past a bus as passengers disembark. As Hellen Lovejoy frequently asks the citizenry, "WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!"