River Walk and the Most Bike Friendly City

I had strong suspicions during construction and today I verified them.  I live where the lake and river meet and the River Walk literally starts in my backyard.  I use it frequently to get from my house to State Street where it ends (or rather ended) and a ramp takes you up to Wacker Drive and the city.  Because the regulations for navigation and existing bridges on the Chicago River constrain the width of the path -- can't do anything about that -- I was skeptical about bicycle use when they announced the extension plans.  I followed the construction and noticed that there appeared to be no on/off ramps.  Finally I discovered one at LaSalle Street (to be finished in about a month).  

My tour today may not be typical since it's about the first nice weekend day of the year, and there was a Memorial Day parade downtown, but I literally had to walk my bike the entire way.  Commercial and tourist traffic easily clog the narrow paths.  I wish they could of engineered a bikeway lane, but I guess the width constraints couldn't accommodate it.

"Stay to the right, pass on the left," sounds more like a political slogan than an aid to navigation on crowded paths.  I am sure I, along with many others, will enjoy the path, but not as a bicyclist.

I'm curious what others think.  Am I being too harsh with unrealistic expectations?