silmarillion

I just have to shake my head in disgust at some of the planning that goes on when new roads are constructed. What's worse is when drivers vilify me just for riding on the darn road.

Exhibit A:


This is an intersection on my daily commute. As you can see, I have drawn the yellow route, as the correct lawful route that I should take when I ride through this intersection.

The red line is the "bike rider" by-pass lane. Today for the 3rd time I was nearly hit because drivers use the lane painted with a straight line to make a left turn. This is extremely hazardous. Cars will either speed up and cut me off, or they nearly hit me from behind as I make my way toward the far right. I have to cross over a lane of traffic to do so.

One day about a month ago, some of you may remember that a driver nearly hit me from behind doing this maneuver. There was a cop sitting there. She was pulled over, but I don't really know for what. It was more than likely because of an improper lane change.

So I asked one of the local police officers If I could use that lane to make the turn, explaining why I wanted to do so. He told me if I did that he would ticket me for it.

So I have never done this. But today this guy in a giant Dodge Ram comes flying through the green light, I was in the middle of the intersection, making my way across. I just happened to catch a glimpse of him out of my mirror, and swerved to keep from ending up underneath his truck.

To date, this is probably one of the closest calls I have had.

So I yell out, "Straight lane, you can't do that!" So he pulls up beside me and starts threatening me. So I calmed down and said, "look sir...(yes I said it politely)...you made an illegal turn that could have run me down." I didn't think it a good idea to mention his rather high rate of speed at that point of the conversation...

So I think he said some "I'll kick your gay little bicycle a$$", and other expletives I didn't quite catch.

I finally just said "look dude, it would be your ticket, and your insurance. Do what you gotta do I guess.."

He gave me some parting explicit poetry shot me a bird and made another deliberate right turn just in front of me into the Chick-Fil-A.

I am going to start videoing all the time now. I have had enough of these jerks.

Sorry for the long rant. Thanks for listening.

silmarillion

How can I fix that image to make it bigger?

ckaspar

That is what I do. I record every ride. If nothing else it provides a way to look back to see how I could have handled a situation differently. If posted on Youtube it allows others to share the experience and learn from it as well.

Camilo

I guess I don't understand why road planning is to blame on this one. The entire issue is idiots making a left from the straight ahead lane. How can road planning solve such idiocy?

If I'm following your yellow line correctly, you're riding the right edge of the left turn lane and following that line through the turn to the right edge of the lane you end up in. That's pretty much my former default strategy. Nowadays, I tend to take the left turn lane to begin with - then ending up on the right edge of the lane or on that shoulder after the turn.

Just out of old habits (I "grew up" riding in Chicago without any coaching as a young person), I tend to really pour it on in those situations and pretty much achieve vehicle acceleration and speed through the intersection until I get around the corner and then relax when I get to whatever position I'm going to ride in after making the corner (shoulder, for example). I "learned" to ride very aggessively in traffic - not aggressive in terms of forcing my right of way or being dangerous, but aggressive in terms of trying to ride at the going rate of traffic in situations where it would make me safer.

Blinkie

What intersection is that? I have friends who ride in Atlanta; they may like to know about this problem area.

dynodonn 

I've met his distant cousin, plus I have a great video shot of a reflection of me in his chrome grille as he is narrowly missing me while he's under full acceleration.

Chris516

Click on it a couple times and it will blow up to a viewable size.

silmarillion

This is on the corner of Lawerenceville/Suwanee and McGuinness Ferry Road.

silmarillion

This is a prime example of how traffic design lacks forward vision. To take the straight lane, you end up going directly into a neighborhood of town homes. There are more people wanting to make the left turn. I guess what I see is that they could have painted the straight or left turn lane, then people could use it safely for both. Cyclists could then take that outside lane safely without having to cross over the lane. The other thing that I find odd is that there is a double green arrow light. I think this is misleading to drivers too.

Yeah that's correct. But because of this kind of thing happening, I think it's a bad idea to try to aim for the outside lane while I go through the intersection. All the striping and lights in the world can't fix stupidity. This guy had to see me, and he had to see me signalling I was moving into the other lane, which I was completely in my right doing. He just decided to come up on me to intimidate me with his monster truck. Then I became the bad guy because I said something to him.

I bet it costs $2-$300.00 bucks to fill the tank on that bohemith. So in his mind that probably gives him the right to act like that.

Agreed. This is the way I usually ride as well. I also am very clear as to my intent. For instance, I signal for a left turn, then I signal that I'm going to move over to the outside edge. (Which is where drivers would probably rather see me go...) This is what I was doing when this guy came blasting around the corner. (he was trying to get through the intersection before the light went red..) He was clearly at fault there...but I had not seen him I may have turned directly into his path. Remember, I did have to swerve to prevent that from happening.

If there is any poetic justice at all, perhaps I'll catch him doing something on camera. I'm sure I'll see him again..

Bekologist

you are complaining about getting passed in the turn at a large intersection? this stuff happens. Most motorists are automatically inclined to pass bicyclists, you can't stop motorists from bad passing in a turn.

I've had motorists drive over centerline curb barriers to try and pass approaching a turn, some motorists will go to great lengths to pass a bicyclist.

My advice: Head on a swivel, ride a line that avoids the passing cars, merge and negotiate as necessary. Yep, sometimes the motorists think you're not supposed to be riding on the road.

At large intersections it's generally best to ride to the inside lane like you've been doing, then move right when safe. it's very situational dependent however.

Yes, large roads suck for populist bike transportation. Can't expect grandma and the kids to bike there, eh?

njkayaker

OK.

What is this?

It's the drivers not the road.

I'm assuming you mean using the straight-through lane for the left turn. If it's really a problem, then maybe the low risk of a ticket is worth it. I suspect there's a way of doing it that wouldn't cause sufficient notice to get a ticket. Did the truck signal?

This helps explain things better. Maybe, you should write to the authorities pointing out these issues.

silmarillion

Yeah you're right. I shouldn't complain about something I already know how to deal with. I go through this intersection 10 times a week.

Seems to me that the powers that be would see this as a potential problem. It's not only bikes the cars pass it's each other as they all jockey for position. Funny thing for a small suburb that prides itself on it's cycling amenities. And they have done a lot, I'll admit. This is just a chinck in the armor.

I should also say that once you make this turn...during peak traffic times...You come to a stop, just a few hundred ft after the intersection before it bottlenecks.

AlmostTrick

I understand that they shouldn't be using the straight lane to turn left, but here it sounds like it is quite common. The other problem is with your present technique, you are crossing lanes in the intersection. You technically should hold the left lane through the turn, end up in the far left lane of the new road, and then signal to merge into the right lane. But reading the note quoted below, I can see how merging over after the turn may be impractical...

The "less legal" option is to use the straight lane just like many other road users are doing. Here you control the center of the lane through the turn and end up in the right lane of the new road. No crossovers. If plenty of others presently do this, I'd consider it too.

dynodonn 

Personally, I've found that moving to the right as quick as it can be safely done is the best option, stopping as many motorists as possible from "freight training" on the right, leaving one stuck in the left lane waiting to merge to the right.

genec

He is complaining about people making a left turn from a straight through lane and crossing him, while he is making a left turn from the left turn lane. The crossing part is where there is a potential for collision... as the motorist is doing something illegal while the cyclist is following the letter of the law. Com'on Bek, try to keep up here.

And of course per typical "alpha dog" cycling mentality, someone offers a solution... Of course that will work just fine for grandma, or mom on her bakfiet bike with kids on board... Or even me, loaded down with groceries... oh yeah that will work just fine.

The reality is the motorist should not be making a left there and it should be clear that it would be an illegal move. You know like a left turn arrow with a big slash across it... instead of two left arrows on a green light above a straight arrow on the road, which causes confusion.

The only solution I see is to take the left tire track in the marked straight through lane and hold the lane as you make the left turn just as a JAM would.

Bekologist

Gene, I understand what the OP is describing. Some motorists will pass unsafely, and get egregious about it if confronted, during turns thru large intersections. It behooves a cyclist to keep their head on a swivel, like i suggested, and not expect motorists to stay behind you at large intersections. they're gonna try to pass, and some will pass from incorrect lanes or even put their wheels over concrete barriers to pass.


I'd actually consider motorists using incorrect lanes to get around and passing unsafely in large intersections serving higher speed roads to be the norm. If they think they can shoot a line past the bicyclist thru the turn, that's what motorists do - they don't docilely wait behind a cyclist arcing a 12mph turn!!!


... try to keep up here.

silmarillion

Bek I get your point. And I'm okay with that.

Your right. I'm preaching to the choir here. What I really need to do is like Gene says, I should point out the arrow vs. the straight line issue and suggest that painting the arrow to indicate a left turn or a straight now only would be safer, I think it would help the flow of traffic in the sense that people will know that it's a turn lane as well, and not run someone down.

All I have to do is figure out who I should talk to about that to see if I can get that changed.

Take a look at the intersection again. It's really a no-brainer. They should make it a turn option lane. This is what most of the traffic does anyway. Occasionally there is someone who goes into the town homes but I think it would be safer for all.

This intersection has only been open since the spring.

Remember this guy was just being an A**. That is no surprise to me.

genec

The powers that be have no passion for cycling, don't care about it one iota. All they care about is tax revenue and making most of the people happy. Forget them.

To fix this you have to address the street engineering folks that made this double green arrow mistake in the first place. Write to the city street division, explain the dichotomy between the green arrows and the painted arrows and declare this a hazard. Wait for a response... if none is forthcoming in a few weeks (maybe 6), try taking this to a local news troubleshooter. If that doesn't work, try a petition, or more radically, paint in a left turn arrow with a circle and line through it yourself... the city will then respond, and you can use the publicity to point out the problem.

You need to paint this right in the straight through lane...

genec

Yeah, some motorists will be JAMs... but you can reduce that a bit (and not always well) by taking the lane as I described here... it may not stop the guy from making some other move, but it will reduce the chance of a crossing move.

The other handy thing is to get a good horn and use it.

rekmeyata

Why didn't you simply invite him to pull over to kick your gay ass? Then as he speeds away you yell back, "look who's g__ now!" You fill in the blanks, I might get banned if I say the word in this politically correct BS world of ours.

Anywho, back to more sane side of the world. I looked at your pic and the only legal option you have is to follow the yellow line, and it's the safest thing to do. Following the red line confuses the driver in the lane where you should have been as he watches you come into his lane, it confuses the person behind you as their thinking you're going to go straight, it confuses the guy coming at you who expects you to be going straight and not turning in front of him.

Also not sure how far down the road that lane with the white diagonal lines goes, but to keep tempers down on cars and to keep them a bit further off your port side you should move into that area after you make your turn and follow that as far as you can. Though legally you have the right to be on the main unpainted road section as the yellow line shows, but it's always safer to have as much of a buffer as you can put between you and any cars on your port side.

gmt13

I do have a similar intersection that I take in the morning, although with less traffic. I position myself in the center of the left lane. If I am in front, I time the light so I am ready to go when green and then accelerate quickly leaving most of the cars still standing there. If I am behind other cars, I still stay in the center of the lane. Because the cars ahead are usually pokey I have no issue moving to the right lane of the cross street. I never have had any cars trying to pass me as I am turning. Perhaps Atlanta drivers are more stressed. I think I would probably consider the "less legal" option if this behavior was common, although it goes against my sense of trying to be predictable on the road. Either that or taking a different route.

-G

Daves_Not_Here

Wouldn't it be easier and lower risk to just go straight through the intersection and then take the crosswalk to the left? It might even be faster in some cases, depending on the sequencing of the lights and the timing of your arrival.

It seems like the double green arrow you mentioned has got to be contributing to the general chaos there (along with impatient motorists). Seems like you've had multiple close calls there - why continue to risk it?

silmarillion

I told my boss..(who incidentally thinks we are ALL nuts for riding bikes in traffic...) Anyway he is a big supporter of cycling because I ride and he likes to ride in neighborhoods and parks.

Anyway, he is going to call one of his buddies who has a friend who's brother works on the planning in the city. (I know it sounds weird..) Because he is a business owner, he has the ear of the local city council. He say's he is actually going to go out with me when I'm riding and take some photos of the arrows and the hazards they create.

I could always go another route, and I may end up having to do this. But he wants me to go to the local business owners/council member meeting. I went a couple of years ago, and it did seem that they were there to listen to business owners. Don't know but it's a start.

I will make an effort to have this changed and post any updates.

MichelleOH

Why can't they hang the no left turn arrow under that light? Would that not work or am I missing something?

silmarillion

Well, while it may give me temporary satisfaction...I don't think it would be a fair fight. The only thing it looked like this dude could wrestle down was a half dozen Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and a super-sized waffle fry. Then perhaps some tenders...Maybe even a brownie. Washing it all down with a large peach milkshake.

Besides, all he was obviously taking a jab at my awesome Dogfish Head cycling jersey and matching socks.