City of Los Altos: good idea, poor execution

[ifox]

I was doing my training ride on Foothill this morning and as I came close to intersection of Foothill and San Antonio (going towards Mountain View) I almost run into a big yellow sign stating "Share the road". As I pass that sign in a few hundred yards (right where there's a right exit to El Monte) I noticed another sign "Bicycle are allowed use of full lane".

While these sings were placed in good intention, they are creating dangerous conditions right there: the signs cover full bike line side to side forcing us into the heavy traffic.

I just got off the phone with nice lady from Los Altos municipal services and she told me that the city hired some contractors to put these signs. She also said that this is the only place to put them, but they'll try to adjust them in the way to allow some space in the bike line. She took the note and she's going to forward everything to her supervisor. Meanwhile, be careful over there.

[7rider]

Oh yeah, I saw that sign on my ride yesterday. I thought it would be darkly ironic if that sign lying in the bike lane caused a rider to turf it. Hopefully, they move it before the weekend masses.

[Bostic]

When you're going up Foothill towards El Monte and the light is red at San Antonio, do you stop and wait? I always see cyclists zip through it.

[7rider]

I go through it. What's funny is that when I did it yesterday, a police car passed by me after the light turned green. He didn't stop me. I think legally, you shouldn't do it, but I'm in the bike lane and I don't think it's that dangerous. If the policeman stopped me, I'd probably be legally wrong, but he probably has bigger fish to fry. The other similar situation is the Sharon Heights Shopping Center/Sandhill Light. If the cemetery's open, I stop, but if I see the gate's closed, I'll go through.

[ifox]

I usually stop (unless I ride with a group and we decide to zip through).

[ahpook]

heh, by the time I got up to that stretch this morning, the sign had been knocked over flat and pushed into the foliage.

re: southbound T intersection, i'll slow and look to see if any cyclists are merging and go through if not. I do this as a general rule on these intersections and never have trouble with it (legal or otherwise). Think about it this way: if there was a curb instead of a bike lane stripe, would you stop at that intersection? Clearly not, because you are not crossing any travel lanes. Same principle holds, modulo being careful about merging bike traffic.

(That's my story and I'm sticking to it :) )

[SteveE]

I always stop. Our club rides start in Los Altos so I go through the intersection frequently. I make it a point to obey all the traffic rules when I'm in club kit.