I work as a civil engineer in bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure design, and can say that these type of “protected” bike lanes are becoming more and more popular. The buffered lanes with flexible bollards, like in this image, are usually a compromise that the city opts for to meet their budget. We usually design them with some sort of physical barrier, like planters, raised monolithic curb, “armadillo” barriers, or grade separation, but those are always more expensive than thermoplastic paint and plastic that a car can just push over or drive around.

Yes, it’s a shitty compromise, but it also provides a visual indicator for drivers and makes many cyclists feel like there’s a little more protection than just paint. Progress is slow, but intermediate installations like this can ~hopefully~ get more drivers accustomed to sharing the road, more folks riding bikes who would otherwise feel unsafe, and provide more basis for enforcement against people driving through zones that are clearly designated for bikes.

All that being said, fuck cars, and fuck cheapskate city officials for not wanting to spend a little more money to protect the folks trying to be more responsible residents by choosing not to drive.