Originally Posted by bike2math
The MUP crosses a road at this intersection, it is essentially a glorified crosswalk. As with a crosswalk the bikers/peds are to the right of the traffic on the exit ramp to the free way. Provided you hit the button when you get there, you will get a pedistrian "walk" signal at the same time that the motorists to your left gets a green light.
Under Ohio law, a bicycle in a cross walk is a pedestrian, and a motorist must yield to a pedestrian in a cross walk, regardless of the status of the walk light. There is also a specific statement that says something like, "Drivers turning right with a green _must_ yield way to any pedestrians in the cross walks at all times." So legally she was without a doubt at fault.
when I first started this route I had a handful of close calls at this intersection where right turning drivers hadn't expected to see someone in the cross walk. So I started making sure I had eye contact with the lead turner before going in to the intersection. This worked until the one day I was in a hurry.
I don't and never did doubt that the motorist was at fault.
What I do question is if this design is part of the problem. Drivers often hit peds/cyclist in sidewalk when they turn right on red. Having them turn right on green at same time peds/cyclist get green seems like a very poor, even negligent design - contrary to how traffic/ped flow should work.
Al