college biker

A motorist confronted me, extremely politely about my positioning in the lanes and how it was blocking cars behind me, so I was just wondering whether there was a better place to be at this intersection for both my safety and courtesy to other motorists.

It was a red light, and I was in the middle of the lane that I marked with the white scribble. It is a lane for going straight or turning right. The lane with the red scribble is right turn only and I marked my planned movement with the yellow line.

Anyway, the light for going straight was red, but there was a green arrow for a right turn, and that is when the motorist came up to me from the right turn only lane. He said, you may want to move over to the right because you are blocking traffic. I know I'm not allowed to be in the right turn only lane, but should I have positioned myself between the lanes with the red and white scribbles? I figured that would endanger me if I was going straight and the person in the white lane was turning right. I figured I shouldn't get between the white lane and the lane to the left of that because if the person in the white lane ends up going straight, then I'm just stuck. The way I look at it, its the EXACT same situation if I was a motorist in the fastest street legal car planning to go straight. No cars behind him could have gone anyway.

To complicate matters a little more, as you can see in the picture, there is no crosswalk on that side. Therefore, to get to the position I want to be at, I would have to wait for the signal to change 2 or 3 times and I'm not interested in that. (There is also usually a lot of foot traffic in the crosswalk during the day because there's a starbucks, office buildings, hotels, and the high school all like right there).

Anyway, is there any other position I should be in, or is where I was my only real option (without avoiding the intersection entirely)?

CbadRider

You were in the correct lane, as far as I can tell. If you were in a car going straight, would he have complained you were blocking the people wanting to turn?

On occasion I have cars honk at me when I'm in the bike lane and they want to turn right. If there is not enough room for me to move over, I just ignore them.

Greyryder

Since right turns are allowed out of that lane, positioning yourself to the left side of the lane would probably be considered courteous. That would let right turning cars get past you.

There's no requirement to do that, so do what you feel keeps you safe. If you don't feel safe doing that, then stay in the center, and the cars will just have to wait behind you, like they would for any other vehicle.

BarracksSi

I think the driver was an inexperienced biker trying to dole out advice.

Normally, for right turns on red, only the far right lane can proceed while the straight-or-right lane has to stay put. If that's true at this intersection, too, nobody else in your lane would've been able to go anywhere, so you would be fine -- can't "block" someone who's stationary.

An option I'd use would be to get as far forward as possible and on the left side of the lane I'm in. If traffic behind can turn right, they can have enough room to easily get by, and the straight-thru traffic will have to wait the same as you. Then, when the light changes, it only takes a couple pedal strokes to get back to the right side of the lane (even before you get halfway through the intersection), then it's back to normal.

Remember, you're more nimble than a car, so take advantage of it.

cooker

If you are in a lane that allows both straight ahead and right turn traffic, I suggest you position yourself in the centre of the lane but far forward so right turning cars can squeeze right behind you, while straightahead traffic is blocked. After the light changes, start forward and drift right so cars behind you who want to overtake you can pass on your left. I wouldn't want to be too far left in that lane as when the full green starts, an impatient motorist may try to pass on the right.

If the curb lane is right turn only, and the next lane is straight ahead (and possibly left turns) position yourself on the line between the lanes.

CB HI

OP, you were riding properly, ignore the fool that does not know what he is talking about.

Besides, my guess is that the second lane also had signs saying no right turn on red from that second lane; so you were not delaying anyone from turning right.

khanom

I do this too -- sometimes I'll pull over to the left side of the lane and forward enough that there is room for cars going right to get by. I've had motorists thank me for this.

But be aware, you are essentially breaking the law and potentially obstructing pedestrian traffic to be courteous. Most of the time I just act like a car and obey the law, even if that means I'm blocking right turns. Around here (Berkeley, CA), most drivers get it and you won't get honked at, thankfully

IanHelgesen

Additionally, some motorists will see moving to the left as an invitation to pass you on the right in the middle of the intersection. I do move over to allow right-turning cars to pass, but only after check for a turn signal.

colleen c

College Biker you are at the front and being part of the traffic. The car behind should respect that. Even if you were a car and had the right to turn right on a red from that lane, it does not mean you have to do it. What that driver told you was incorrect but just be thankful he was polite and not like some driver who would tell you to "Get on the sidewalk"......(argh)

I also find Berkeley is very biker friendly city from drivers who lives there. They would yield to a bicyclist before leaving or entering their driveway at their house. The very few driver that I did find not as friendly are driver I beleived who are just passing through town bypassing the "Maze" on Int 80.

JeffS

I think you were fine. As others have mentioned, if you were in a car they wouldn't be going anywhere anyway. You don't owe them anything because you're on a bike.

I often position myself in various locations to allow people to turn right, but this doesn't feel like one of those situations.

RT

That is a tricky light. The trouble begins in the lane you're in - once that light turns green, you have to trust the turn signal of all cars behind you. Where I'm from, we're allowed to turn on red from a lane like that. If you block the lane, you block cars from turning on red, so it becomes an issue. If you park to the left of the lane you're in, you run the risk of being between two lanes of straight traffic.

IMHO, blocking right turns is never a good idea.

tero

They allow turning right on red on two parallel lanes? That seems crazy dangerous.

RT

Wait - maybe you're right there. I am thinking of an intersection with two dedicated rights and three straights. I don't think as a commuter I've ever run across an intersection like this. I stand by my previous statement - this is a tricky intersection. I'd take the crosswalk to be safe

EDIT: Jeez - there's no crosswalk going that direction.

ItsJustMe

In right lanes I tend to position far left to allow right turn on red if I'm at the front.

Otherwise, you could remind the driver that cars block the cars behind them too.

10 Wheels

I do the same.

Metzinger

I would look over my shoulder if I heard a car pull up behind me. If it had its blinker on, I'd probably scootch left/forward. But people say I'm overly polite.

sseaman

In this situation I ride like I was driving.

Yan 

You're fine. Ignore driver.

cycle_maven

You're right. Driver's wrong. You couldn't have done better. Would the driver have admonished another car that was going straight in your exact position? I think not.

RT

The difference is, you're not a car. Drivers fail to acknowledge this, so of course you're going to catch Hell for it.

noisebeam

Stay in center of shared RT/thru lane if there is a dedicated RT lane to your right. Drivers who want to turn on red can plan ahead and use the far right lane.

But the complicating factor in this case is that there is a dedicated green for RT only. If both lanes are marked for RT then that increase the perception you are blocking RTing traffic. However if you were driving a motorcycle you would be correctly positioned in center of the thru/RT lane.

If this was a shared RT/thru lane with no other RT lane I'd left bias. I might also in this specific case, but only after 'knowing' the traffic patterns from going thru a few times.

college biker

Thanks for all the help. I may look into pulling out into the crosswalk if there isn't too much foot traffic at the time. Since they did have a green right arrow, they are allowed to turn right from that lane before anyone can go straight.

One other thing that I forgot to mention, that lane doesn't actually have a lane on the other side of the intersection (it merges with the lane to the left of it) but cars will still consistently go straight out of that lane because on the other side of the intersection, the space for the one lane is almost the size of two whole lanes anyway, and eventually they will merge.

EKW in DC

+1

chipcom 

What if I were in a car wanting to go straight...am I unreasonably blocking right turns?
I didn't think so.

To the OP: you were positioned just fine, though if there is enough room and you feel safe doing so, moving left enough so that right-turners can get past you would be good manners.

noisebeam

Where is it marked/signed that the 2nd lane is a shared thru and RT lane - it is official or just custom? Pavement markings are not visible in the small cut view you have shown. I also note that the pavement staining shows that drivers turning right mostly use the outer RT only lane.

In AZ I am not familiar with any law prohibiting RT on red from either of dual marked RT lanes. Most drivers do it as dual RT lanes are very common (inner one often being a thru lane as well)