Where I live the roads have shoulders that are roughly 6-12” from where the pavement stops, which is usually terrain that is both difficult/impossible to ride on and privately owned. These are holdovers from carriage/wagon roads during like “founding America” times (yeah Pennsylvania) and expansion would require a great deal of money, property easements, etc, so it just isn’t done.

A random spot from google street view (because I don’t need some geoguesser nerd doxxing me). The state is plagued with this and the further east you go the more you get hills, stone walls, etc right against the edge of the road.

These are also mostly back roads and as a result are not really monitored well by police or anything so drivers go absolutely wild on them, especially in rural areas. Where I live there is a T intersection that has accidents somewhat often because people will go down the (35mph) rural road insanely fast during the night, like highway speeds (70+mph). Then all of a sudden the road stops and it’s either a 90 degree left or right turn, which they fail. Sometimes they die.

All the road signs are shot up too because redneck teens and young adults drive drunk at night and shoot signs, which is a thing that coal roller types do for fun apparently.

To walk or bike to the nearest grocery store isn’t terribly far, ~3 miles, and the nearest bus stop is ~5.5, but the path there is a death trap

I hate it here