Originally Posted by
sudo bike
FWIW, I'd totally ride in it in straight sections, but I would've done exactly as he did at that spot... I've seen places like that where long high-speed highways come to an area with a bunch of driveways, and that's one of the few places I'm actually nervous about getting right hooked. I'd take the lane just until I'm past the series of turn-offs. I too would totally try to avoid if I could.
I re-watched the videos'. I found that the road is part of U.S. Route 5 that runs through West Springfield. But I couldn't find the speed limit for the road. Wkipedia does say that the road was being turned into part of the freeway. While the traffic doesn't look too fast in the video(at least for me it isn't), from the perspective of the officers, I can see their concern. Maybe they are not cyclists' themselves and understand what a cyclist has to do, to stay safe sometimes.