Rapido

Hey, if you decide to filter cautiously on up to the red light ( I did say cautiously) between rows of MVs and anyone says something about it, remind them about all the MVs that passed you just a few seconds ago in the very same lane. ... State statutes forbid two vehicles to be in the same designated lane while side-by-side, or for one to pass another one while in the same lane. So, saying that, all MVs by law cannot pass a bicycle without moving all the way into the next safe lane regardless of how wide the "shared" lane is. Since tens of thousands of MVs pass ME without switching lanes, then by gosh I can re-pass them (cautiously) when they are all stopped in traffic at a red light. Share the Road, share the Burden.

lima_bean

I filter (on the left if no bike lane and stopped traffic) if its backed up traffic. If its just regular traffic at a stop light, i just wait at the end of the cars, if its backed up at the light long enough to take multiple cycles if i waited in line, I filter.

dipy911

On my commute home, I only have to really worry about this at one light. If there are more than 3 cars at the light, I use a driveway to get on the sidewalk. I then cross at green. You don't have to worry about the first car turning right, because they could have done that on red in Kansas. I then pull back into the street at the next intersection, about 20 yards down the street. By then the cars that could go through on green have already passed. I wouldn't filter to the front, because I would then have to take the lane because it is too narrow since there is a turn lane both directions. I don't know if filtering is allowed in Overland Park, but sidewalk riding is allowed except in downtown areas.


dipy911

Spreggy

I was at a party a couple of weeks ago, and one guy says he was stuck on main street, and watched some guy on a black bicycle go right on past everybody down the wide shoulder, just cooking along. I said did I forget to wave to ya Charlie?

If it's jammed, I'm going. If it's not, then I hold my place in line to the right of the rear bumper, and I give plenty of room for cars to zip by when it turns green. It doesn't take much to be a considerate driver, be it bike or car.

makeinu

Exactly. However, the important distinction is that a motorist is wielding a deadly weapon. A cyclist is not.

A motorist could potentially kill a cyclist by trying to splitting a lane, but a cyclist will never kill a motorist by trying to split a lane with stopped/slow traffic. Therefore, for the safety of us all I try to prevent motorists from deciding to split a lane with me by riding in the middle of the lane (ensuring there isn't enough room for them to split), but I have no problem with deciding to split a lane with stopped/slow traffic whenever I can ("filtering"). It pisses some people off, but I don't care because anything else would be foolish. I'm not going to put myself in danger so they can split a lane with me and I'm not going to stay behind them in traffic just because it makes them feel better.

If motorists want to try to prevent me from deciding to split lanes with them they are perfectly free to do so. Unfortunately for them, there isn't much they can do because their vehicles are too big and cumbersome. Oh, well.

Also, I really don't care what the law says. If the local authorities decide to write me a ticket then I will accept it. It's fine with me. I could get a ticket every day and I'd still be paying less money than driving. Moreover, I really could get a ticket every day because, unlike a motorist, I don't need a license to operate my vehicle. In fact, I'd even advocate stricter enforcement of the traffic laws if it meant stricter enforcement for all vehicles (including speed limits). That way there would be fewer licensed motorists out there to put me in danger and get in my way. Well worth a few traffic tickets for me.

Quickbeam

I've found that a lot of motorists don't want to give cyclists (well at least me) their place in the queue anyway. Even when I fully "take the lane" I'll have motorists pull along side of me (half-way into the oncoming lane mind you) in an effort to "pass" me in the queue. After several instances of this happening, and of having motorists honking at me when I take the lane and queue-up, I've taken to filtering forward almost 100% of the time. In certain situations I might get in the queue but not often. To me it seems like motorists are more tolerant of me flitering forward than they are of me having the audacity to think that I (a mere bicycle) warrant a place in the queue.

It's all about them (the motorist) you see. It doesn't matter how illegal what you're doing may be. If it's less of an inconvenience to them, they're cool with it. If however what you're doing is perfectly legal but it inconveniences the motorist for so much as one gad-billi-second, they're going to get pissed as hell!

neilfein

The last motorist that tried to pass me when I was queued up at a light while I was commuting home.... I was obviously about to turn left (the street teed off and I was on the left at the stop line) and he passes me on the right, then starts to turn left, creating a potential hook situation.

I turned and yelled, "hello! Can you wait in line?" he actually backed off, but I know a lot of drivers (particularly during road-rage-rush-hour) would either ignore me or yell back.

maddyfish

Sometimes they share the lane with you, sometimes you share it with them. Nothing wrong with it. I don't feel anymore guilty about it than I do when stopped on the road waiting for traffic to clear before making a left turn, with a line of cars behind me.

Bushpilot

no rules , dont look back, ride like a NY courier

trombone

I dislike filtering up the inside (left here in Oz, equivalent to right in the US!). It never feels safe; I worry about traffic turning left, debris in the gutter and drain covers with longitudinal slots (there are a lot here in Sydney).

I prefer to go up the middle between the two lanes (assuming two lanes going the same direction). On a single lane road I might overtake the line on the right if there was no oncoming traffic, but more likely just wait in line.

I’ve never had a problem doing that here. I ride right to the head of the line, and put myself further forward than either of the two front cars. Drivers generally are quite good at looking at what’s in front of them, and very bad at seeing what’s off to one side, so I feel safer in front of traffic than in amongst it. I ride up between the cars quite slowly – slow enough that I could stop if a car door was to swing open.

I also know the phasing of the traffic lights very well, and start moving off and get clipped in as the opposing lights change, then explode over the line onto the junction the instant the light goes green (with suitable consideration for drivers who might be jumping the lights from the other direction). It’s generally 200-300 yards before the cars catch up with me, which in most cases means I reach the next set of lights faster than they do, or at least the drivers don’t think I’ve held them up. Maybe it’s Aussie drivers, but the pace of traffic in the city isn’t that fast, and neither do they pull away from green lights all that quickly. Riding in a city in the UK I remember being more hairy, with more aggressive drivers. +1 to the laid-back Aussie lifestyle.

The only dodgy situation is when you are splitting a long line of stationary traffic, and then it start moving whilst you’re in the middle of it. This is never very comfortable, and I try to avoid it (for example, I won’t filter up the line if the lights are about to change and I won’t reach the front before it goes green). When it does happen I just take either lane as soon as a suitable gap opens up between cars. I do feel a bit cheeky doing that though, although I’ve never had any aggro for doing it.

I definitely think that not being a tool about it is important. Riding very fast / weaving between different lanes through traffic isn’t cool, and I can see might get motorists annoyed.

evblazer

I love em. It was the first thing I noticed when I moved to Texas besides the endless concrete and infection of limitless brick houses everywhere, I think they took the 3 little pigs too seriously
The dots with the reflectors really help track the road/lanes at night or when it is foggy.

Oh and filtering. I actually started doing it at two intersections now. There seem to be only two situations at those intersections.
<5 cars/tractor trailers: I'll wait in line
>40 vehicles: I'll filter if I see it open all the way. My xtracycle ain't hopping any curbs plus the only thing over the curb is a big ditch I'd get swallowed by.