Originally Posted by
ChipSeal
It looks to me like Forrest Road becomes a single narrow lane approaching Lattington Road from the east. If that is true, I would take the lane and remain in a controlling position until I was past the gore area, (Zebra stripes) then merging right as traffic permitted.
I do not have the opinion that the intersection is a "flawed design". The "merging" lane actually becomes a new right lane, so there is no real conflict. Simply stay in the left lane until a sufficient gap appears to to merge right safely.
My question is, how did you pass the car and how did he pass you? Did you pass him on the right, and was he stopped or slowing for the light? Why didn't you take the lane? It appears too narrow to safely share. Was the car you passed a narrow car like a Prius?
I was going Westbound. Eastbound is another matter. At that intersection, Forrest Avenue (four lanes) splits, eastbound, with the left lane signed "Lattingtown Road" and "left turn only". On the Eastbound side of the road, there is a right hand curve and for a short distance, there is no shoulder. When I go EB, I take the lane.
Yesterday, when the minivan beeped his horn, I looked, and he was fifty feet behind me, and I chose to take the right lane, effectively blocking him. He stopped, and I waved my red highway flag once I was over to the right (north side, where the zebra stripes end). I was set up for cars passing on the left, with my rear view mirror and my red flag on the left side of my handlebars.
His light , to clarify, was a single green arrow, pointing 45 deg. to the right, like a clock with the hour hand at 2:00PM. There is a sign before the curve on Lattingtown road with a picture of a traffic light.
Going North on Lattingtown road there are yellow and black speed limit signs which say "20MPH" and "15MPH" but there are no speed limit signs approaching the intersection. But this guy was going 50MPH.
I would assume that the speed limit is the same in both directions, and the sign must've got knocked down southbound.
Anyway, I went back today with a pair of lopping shears, and I removed much of the vegetation from the northside of the intersection. That should improve visibility, both for the driver to see the bike and the cyclist to see the cars.