Commuting - One more reason not to ride on the wrong side of the street.

I was reminded of this situation in the thread about a cyclist getting sued by a motorist whose car was damaged in a collision. This situation happened to me, with me as the motorist, and I nearly hit the guy who tried to cross in front of me as I turned left. Motorists are NOT expected to look behind them for traffic coming up the street the wrong direction when making a left turn. If you come up behind someone like this, it'd be real easy to get run over.

http://fox302.com/userdata/notfred/files/Biking/wrongway.jpg

I only ride facing traffic only if I absolutly have to. I get nervous when approching intersections with drivers turning right. They don't check thier right side as they exit the intersection. Sometimes they barly even stop.

It's a good illustration.

The bike lane is often responsible for these type of wrong way accidents. Inexperienced cyclists think bike lanes are two ways but they are not!

It's a good illustration.

The bike lane is often responsible for these type of wrong way accidents. Inexperienced cyclists think bike lanes are two ways but they are not!

That's why the new bike lanes going in around here have a cyclist icon with a one-way arrow painted in the lane. I insisted on it.

I only ride facing traffic only if I absolutly have to.
Riding against traffic is crazy!

That's why the new bike lanes going in around here have a cyclist icon with a one-way arrow painted in the lane. I insisted on it.If your marking is not in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, it may somehow end up being a threat to safety, as someone unfamiliar with your icon misinterprets it. The Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices does listen to new ideas. Let them take a look at your idea.
http://www.ncutcd.org/

If your marking is not in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, it may somehow end up being a threat to safety, as someone unfamiliar with your icon misinterprets it. The Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices does listen to new ideas. Let them take a look at your idea.
http://www.ncutcd.org/

We have the same icons here in houston.

If your marking is not in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, it may somehow end up being a threat to safety, as someone unfamiliar with your icon misinterprets it. The Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices does listen to new ideas. Let them take a look at your idea.
http://www.ncutcd.org/

We've got a traffic engineer involved in the process. All markings are as per MUTCD. But I do appreciate your thoughts & concerns.

Now if the cagers will just understand & comply.........

I only ride facing traffic only if I absolutly have to. I get nervous<snip>

tsk tsk tsk. I'm getting nervous about your safety.

Forgive me for this next question as I'm relatively new to the forums, but are people afraid to ride in traffic? It's the only way to make sure you don't get squashed or hooked sometimes. Especially when cars have to turn.

Hi,
last week where I live, a mail semi ran over a cyclist going the wrong way
at dusk with no lights. Not smart. Not breathing, either.

Forgive me for this next question as I'm relatively new to the forums, but are people afraid to ride in traffic? It's the only way to make sure you don't get squashed or hooked sometimes. Especially when cars have to turn.
Forum members in general have little difficulty riding in traffic. Bike lanes can be useful in certain instances as well. However there has been much discussion of "wrong way cyclists" creating a hazard while using bike lanes. That's where this thread picks up.

I only ride facing traffic only if I absolutly have to. Riding against traffic is crazy!
A cyclist who was riding against traffic was recently killed in Portland, ME (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=82091).

Update: I just noticed late's posting, above. It's the same incident.

I only ride facing traffic only if I absolutly have to. I get nervous when approching intersections with drivers turning right. They don't check thier right side as they exit the intersection. Sometimes they barly even stop.

Curious... What do you do when you encounter a cyclist heading in the CORRECT direction? Do you force him into the car lane?

Forum members in general have little difficulty riding in traffic. Bike lanes can be useful in certain instances as well. However there has been much discussion of "wrong way cyclists" creating a hazard while using bike lanes. That's where this thread picks up.

Ahh I see. Well I see that every damn time I get within 3 blocks of the university. I'm so surprised that there hasn't been more injuries.
On a side note, I had a Physics professor that didn't make it to class one day because he got doored. I guess he was kind of lucky because it happened right in front of the hosptial.

i do all my getting around by bike and i see people all the time not paying attention to the rules of the road. this is people on bikes as wellk as thouse in cars. i have come to the conclustion that there are cyclists and people who ride bikes.

What's even worse in my opinion are the bums that ride up to an intersection, then kind of linger at the crosswalk for a few seconds, then dart into oncoming traffic. Makes people think that's what all bikers are like.

Forgive me for this next question as I'm relatively new to the forums, but are people afraid to ride in traffic? It's the only way to make sure you don't get squashed or hooked sometimes. Especially when cars have to turn.

Yes. A lot of people are not only afraid to ride in traffic but don't realize they are allowed to do so.

I do a lot of cycling instruction with Scouts, and I find that many of the younger ones are very uncomfortable with riding on the road. Most likely because they are so used to being told to ride on the sidewalk. Most schools don't teach bike safety unless they get a special grant. I'm not sure any teach cycling laws.

The Scouts become much more comfortable riding in traffic after they know the laws and realize it's the safest way to cycle.

I had the very same experience as notfred, only I was making a U-turn (legal in CA). I had to stomp on the brakes when I found a cyclist squeezing past my grill. Wrong way cyclists really pi$$ me off! I could have really hurt the guy had I not seen movement in the corner of my eye. It was dark, yet he was wearing all black. I shouldn't be expected to look out for a cyclist that shouldn't be where he doesn't belong. I rolled down the window and screamed "Wrong way! Ride with traffic, dolt." I doubt he cared to listen.

-Shimpie

I have another wrong-way story. A few months ago, I saw a cyclist riding the wrong way on the sidewalk. Double Whammy! I thought if this guy doesn't know any better, he's asking for a death wish. Just as I passed him, a car pulling out of a small street, knocked him off his bike. The driver that hit him, was looking for oncomming traffic, not at sidewalk traffic coming from the opposite direction. He had been parked at the intersection looking for a gap in traffic and the cyclist rode right in front of the car when the driver was looking the other way. Even as a pedestrian, I don't walk in front of cars without the driver's eye contact. If the cyclist had been riding with traffic, the driver would have seen him.

-Shimpie

80% of my commute is either on worng way bike lanes, or going the wrong way down 1 way streets, or riding into oncoming traffic.
I'm much faster this way, and I've never had a problem.

A good point to bring up once in a while notfred. Nice diagram too.

80% of my commute is either on worng way bike lanes, or going the wrong way down 1 way streets, or riding into oncoming traffic.
I'm much faster this way, and I've never had a problem.

yet...

(but it's only a matter of time)

yet...

(but it's only a matter of time)Agreed

80% of my commute is either on worng way bike lanes, or going the wrong way down 1 way streets, or riding into oncoming traffic.
I'm much faster this way, and I've never had a problem.

Oh my. Karma...bad karma.

-Not to worry though, your never too far from one of Beantown's 5 trauma centers.

80% of my commute is either on worng way bike lanes, or going the wrong way down 1 way streets, or riding into oncoming traffic.
I'm much faster this way, and I've never had a problem.

For the EMT's and ambulace drivers..............JOB SECURITY!

80% of my commute is either on worng way bike lanes, or going the wrong way down 1 way streets, or riding into oncoming traffic.
I'm much faster this way, and I've never had a problem.

This is not meant to be sarcastic or anything negative at all. I just am trying to figure out something for myself and bring up a point that may be worth considering. Please don't take this the wrong way.

Do you have a car? Did you ever have a car? Don't get me wrong. I think not having a car in a city is very practical and a good thing for many reasons. I put 10 times the mileage on my bikes in a week than my car. I would do more if possible.

The only reason I ask, is I think this helps you understand the other persons point of view. In other words it helps you imagine what a driver thinks when he is close to you. I don't doubt that you can go quickly up the street and miss that car. My point is that most, if not all drivers will go through a second of panic when you are nearby going against traffic, then they don't know how to react. This makes them mad too. What are your thoughts on that?

I loooooove wrong way cyclists who want to take the inside of a passing situation.i.e. I am riding with traffic, (on a one way street I ride on the left) Wrong way in hurry guy coming, he leans to my left, putting me to my right, further out into traffic I cannot see. I am therefor burdened by this guy with oncoming cars and now him. Huge pet peeve of mine.

I loooooove wrong way cyclists who want to take the inside of a passing situation.i.e. I am riding with traffic, (on a one way street I ride on the left) Wrong way in hurry guy coming, he leans to my left, putting me to my right, further out into traffic I cannot see. I am therefor burdened by this guy with oncoming cars and now him. Huge pet peeve of mine.

This does happen to me occasionally, It's a pet peeve of mine too.. Do you ride on the left on the one way because you are going faster than most traffic? I usually don't have slow speed traffic where I live. I usually do the right on one ways, but not always. I ride in an urban setting most of the time, the traffic is usuall going faster than I am. The wrong way riders I encounter are too young to have a drivers liscence, young enough so I can tell just by looking.

Do you ever wonder if the guy coming at you may not have ever driven a car?

I ride on the left for several reasons, The biggest is that left turning cars will have me right outside the drivers window, no "didn't see you in my mirrors" bit when I was in front of or next to the car and mirrors won't help anyway. Also you are right there for any exchange of "civilities" I have found that I am cut off by left turning cars much less than on the blind (right) side of right turning cars. Bad drivers don't need to guess how close they are to you from the other side of the vehicle, they are right next to you. Traffic is moving slow, but not always slower than me. When I think of wrong way cyclists in NYC, it is of the food delivery guys on Second Ave riding in the bike lane (on the left of the ave) the wrong way. I don't think they have US licenses and most likely did not in the country they immigrated from. I think there is a large degree of poverty and lack of education that motivates food delivery riders to more often than not ride the wrong way (or on sidewalks). I was thinking about this thread while riding last night breaking an uncountable number of traffic laws; when I do break rules, I am careful not stick it to anyone else, a legal ped, or another biker or a car.

I ride on the left for several reasons, The biggest is that left turning cars will have me right outside the drivers window, no "didn't see you in my mirrors" bit when I was in front of or next to the car and mirrors won't help anyway. Also you are right there for any exchange of "civilities" I have found that I am cut off by left turning cars much less than on the blind (right) side of right turning cars. Bad drivers don't need to guess how close they are to you from the other side of the vehicle, they are right next to you. Traffic is moving slow, but not always slower than me. When I think of wrong way cyclists in NYC, it is of the food delivery guys on Second Ave riding in the bike lane (on the left of the ave) the wrong way. I don't think they have US licenses and most likely did not in the country they immigrated from. I think there is a large degree of poverty and lack of education that motivates food delivery riders to more often than not ride the wrong way (or on sidewalks). I was thinking about this thread while riding last night breaking an uncountable number of traffic laws; when I do break rules, I am careful not stick it to anyone else, a legal ped, or another biker or a car.

Very interesting. A couple of good points that I never thought of before. I have to keep that in mind while riding. I go out and come back a few blocks of one way roads every time I ride. I live on one.

I don't insist on my right of way when cycling since the wrong way bicycle rider obviously has no clue. I move as far to the left as is safe to do so and let wrong way take the inside. I also calmly (really!) tell him he's going the wrong way. This technique has resulted in a safe, or at least uneventful, pass in every instance so far.

In the event I couldn't move left, I would tell wrong way I can't move, slow and hold my line. If nothing became of this, I would get out of the situation any way I safely could. It doesn't pay to be dead right.

I have almost hit wrong way in my car when I was making a RH turn on a red (legal in CA). I looked right to watch for peds, but there were none so my attention turned to the left. When a space opened up I went. Almost got wrong way.

While commuting one morning I witnessed an accident where this is exactly what happened. Fortunately, after minor first aid, wrong way continued on his way to school, carrying his bike. The car driver felt terrible, and I made sure to let him know that from what I saw, the bike rider was at fault. He never called me...I hope he didn't get sued.

Very interesting. A couple of good points that I never thought of before. I have to keep that in mind while riding. I go out and come back a few blocks of one way roads every time I ride. I live on one.

I know in Philly it is legal to ride on the left side of a one way street (that has no designated bike lane) in the direction of traffic provided you are not "impeding the flow of traffic." I usually choose the left on one ways to stay out of the door zone as most of the parking spots seem to be on the right side of the street.

I was thinking about this thread while riding last night breaking an uncountable number of traffic laws; when I do break rules, I am careful not stick it to anyone else, a legal ped, or another biker or a car.

Well, okay I break rules too sometimes. I try to be the same way though. For example late at night at a stop sign where all traffic can be spotted, and there's nobody for blocks, I'll roll it. I got lucky one night. I actually stopped at a red light with no traffic, and after about 30 seconds a cop rolls up next to me and thanks me for not running the light. Not running it that night anyway!

I know a guy, AAA Advanced Driver graduate, LAB Effective Cycling graduate, on the board of our state bike coalition. Yet he managed to do the same damn thing. Took a right in his car and smashed head on into a wrong way cyclist.

Look out! :eek:

i must agree i usually obay all laws unless its 2 am and my light just went out then i find a side walk and ride it. i think it is not smart to go against the grain with a bike it makes us cyclist look bad to motorists and sets a bad example to the young ones

I know in Philly it is legal to ride on the left side of a one way street (that has no designated bike lane) in the direction of traffic provided you are not "impeding the flow of traffic." I usually choose the left on one ways to stay out of the door zone as most of the parking spots seem to be on the right side of the street.

This is why many bike lanes in NYC are on the left side of One-Way streets. I always stay left unless there is a specific hazard to avoid. Also - to "Boston Wrong-Way" from earlier in this thread -- though you might not "encounter any problems" by going the wrong way 80% of the time, the cyclists you encounter the other direction are silently fuming. It's unnecessary, too. for every one-way street, there is almost always an equal and opposite one-way street. USE IT! Even if you don't "encounter any problems" another cyclist may and that just ain't right.

Well actually in Boston the street network is famously heinous so there often isn't an equal and opposite one way.

Nevertheless, I make wrong-way cycling a rare exception (sometimes you just find yourself completely painted into a corner and getting out will take like a block of wrong-way), I wouldn't imagine building my commute around it.