Originally Posted by
ls01
Unfortunately you may be correct as to the why this happened. But the facts are that the motorist has the responsibility to obey the traffic signs as they are placed not interpret what they may or may not have meant. Also note that the cyclist is not operating on the road ,this removes the stipulation that some states have that a bicycle is a vehicle. Since the cyclist is not on the road but on a separate path that makes him a pedestrian. And a pedestrian always has the right of way in most states.
Right
Try to get that one by most motorists... Heck, more pedestrians are killed than cyclists... good luck with that line of thinking.
There are conflicts at that intersection... that of minor paths meeting a major road, of paths having no "weight" in the mind of most motorists, and of the stop line being too close to the path as to render the stop ambiguous.
I would NOT depend or expect motorists to treat users of the path in a good way. The drivers are looking at their minor road, which meets a major road as being the only valid users of the facilities in that area. Motorists will not look at the path as any more than a "park/recreation" situation, while they, the motorists are the "official" users of the road. Such is the mentality of most drivers. Try to change that or expect different treatment... and you will no doubt be in for a huge disappointment and a lot of frustration.
Now if you really wanted to get things set right, the first thing I would suggest is educating motorists... and the best way would be with a sign placement indicating that motorists must wait for crossing traffic. Something like: Yield to Bikes and Pedestrians. Without that, as far as motorists are concerned, you don't exist. Even with that, there is a strong chance that such signage will be ignored.
Around here in some places, in order for pedestrians to get the ROW they actually are granted by law, there are special crosswalks, with road level inset blinking lights, and roadside signs with large blinking lights, to stop motor traffic and permit pedestrians to safely cross.
It takes that much to get drivers to stop, look and obey the law.
Here is an example of such a crosswalk:
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=f...181.15,,0,5.34
Notice the speed limit on the road, the dayglow ped signs, and in the street, the inset lights that flash. It takes that much to tell motorists they don't in fact "own the road."
