Originally Posted by
JohnBrooking
Can someone address my second set of questions? (Sorry I'm such a verbose poster.)
Basically: How are cyclists expected to know how to take turns in bike-laned intersections? How are motorists to know what to expect them to do?
repetition, law, familiarity, and education (learning on the road)
what ever did the first drivers who encountered a left turn only lane do? did they plow right through because that arrow said so?
what ever did the first drivers who encountered an HOV lane do? or a bus only lane? or a right turn on red? or a no turn on red?
i'll concede that some BLs can be unsafe - but so can car lanes! they tend to get fixed over time, and we tend to think that the motor vehicle traffic markings are perfect and have always been so. if something doesn't work it is in our power to change it... and its also in our power to adapt to changes in markings and control devices.
i think it would go a long way to the safety of all road users to have a comprehensive educational program in order to obtain a motor vehicle license. understanding the rights of all users of the public rights of ways would help ease the friction between bus, car, truck, ped, bike, and buggy.
we raise the limit on drinking, but we give the keys to land missile cars and SUVs to 16 year olds with scant real world training.