Traffic is the bane of all commuters, and once you reach your destination you have to park. In most parts of the world, motorcycles and scooters are what many people turn to in order to make the commute faster, easier, and cheaper. The U.S. is not most parts of the world, but were getting better.
When a commuter rides to work on his/her motorcycle, they accomplish several things. They make the highways and streets less congested, because they take up less space. Their lighter vehicles do less damage to the road surface. And when they park, they take up less parking spacesometimes.
Its that parking aspect that some communities have taken to improve by designating certain parking areas specifically for motorcycles. And yet, in other communities, its almost as if they want to discourage people from riding. Thats how different the laws are.