Originally Posted by
Number400
Four way intersection. Each direction has a turn lane and a straight/right turn lane combination. Lighted crosswalk signs with painted crosswalk on road.
We were astride our bikes on the pedestrian/bike path (this is an official, marked bike route that is also a sidewalk) and pressed the cross button. Lights changed our way and our walk sign lit up at the same instant the light turned green. An oncoming driver in the opposing left turn lane started to race through to turn left before the cars with us began to move.
Welcome to the world of rude and impatient drivers. So you don't feel singled you as a bicyclist, be aware that the same post could appear in some kind of motorists forum.
Here in the New York area, the window of opportunity for lefts can be very small. Once traffic is flowing in both directions, the entire light cycle can end before a gap for a left opens up. Usually the first car can then turn as the light changes (the motorist version of a Copenhagen left), but no others, unless they continue to flow after the change (which also happens). Anyway, faced with the prospect of having to (god forbid) wait a full cycle to make a left, drivers jump the gun and preempt oncoming traffic. Around here it's often more than the first drivers, I've seen streams of drivers do this once the flow was established.