Originally Posted by
caloso
On left turns, the closer you can match the speed of motor traffic, the easier it will be. If the fastest you can go is 20 and the cars are going 45, forget it: you're better off using the cross walk.
You'd be walking a lot in Los Angeles. It is possible. You just need a larger break in traffic, and they do happen.
Like Hao said, motorists appreciate when you are predictable and polite.
Originally Posted by
bikerjp
Unless I'm not reading that right, that won't work if the other road also has lots of traffic as you are trying to u-turn across 4 lanes without a light. Probably illegal too.
Yep, and that intersection is quite common in LA. The "box turn" would be better in that situation, but I have used the right/u-turn trick for less busy streets, as well as for circumnavigating red lights that I know won't change for a bicycle alone.