Awkward intersections
 

There's always one.

In this case, the kenosha path reaches a 4 way intersection and, if it were marked, cuts across it diagonally at a 45 degree angle.

There are turn lanes in all directions, no turn lights, and no crosswalks.

The most legal way to cross is to do a pretend you're a car deal and go across one way, wait for the light and cross the other to continue. It's annoying.

How do you guys deal with this particular nonsense?

Personally, I'd complain all over the internet and try to create a federal case out of it. Or, maybe just cross the two streets and get on with life.

THe most legal and the safest.

Like this:

The most legal way to cross is to do a pretend you're a car deal (or a pedestrian) and go across one way, wait for the light and cross the other to continue.

(Yep, its from your post, with a little addition from me. )

Seriously it doesn't sound like its a big deal. Before you start complaining to the City of Kenosha, go to the City's Public Works Department (or whatever department is responsible for road maintenance) and ask for the accident data they have for that intersection. If there's no abnormal spike in the number of accidents/collisions at it compared to other intersections in the city, then they probably won't do anything about your complaint. Heck, it sounds like you have a nice off-street bike path, too; that's gotta count for something, or someone at City Hall paying attention to bicycles!

We're better than racine in this category. And while I may be whining for the sake of whining a bit, I was curious about others wierd intersection crossing tales.

It might be more fruitful to ask for the intersection's grade (delay time for motorists). If it is possible to put in a bike-specific signal without creating a failing grade for the intersection (waits of over 85 seconds), then all you have to do is find the funds and convince the traffic engineer to make it so (or the elected officials who are his ultimate bosses).

We've got the same thing here in Eugene. Our so-called premier bike path terminates at an intersection in a similar way. Our recently departed traffic engineer, who was allowed to resign when it became public that he had worked the past eight years without the required engineering license (his third trip to that rodeo), refused to put in the necessary bike-specific signal because it could occasionally cause delays of slightly over 85 seconds for motorists. This actually conflicts with city policy, but our elected officials generally refuse to get involved with insubordination on the part of city staff because it would then look like the city is poorly run, which would reflect poorly on them.

When all else fails, I make right turns until I find a safer route. I'm not allergic to taking a longer way 'round if it's safer. I'm rarely in such a hurry that I need to take a risk or stress out over potential danger.

This is among the trickiest intersections I encounter occasionally. It's not too bad now because Fort Worth has been emphasizing bike lanes and awareness (the mayor is an avid cyclist too - she sponsors and participates in rides). To navigate this starfish intersection I take the middle of the lane, preferably behind a car heading the same direction to break a path for me. So far, so good.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=501839

There's a more dangerous route heading eastward toward downtown, involving a dangerous merge with a highway on-ramp, competing for attention with a busy four-way intersection. I try to avoid it during rush hour. If it's rush hour or my legs aren't up to sprinting, I'll take a longer way around to avoid it.

And to my west, in an otherwise rural area, there's a tricky frontage road left turn across a bridge, with traffic merging from the highway in my blind spot. Seems unusually busy even on a Sunday. And the approach to the intersection is a long uphill grade, so my legs are usually nearly spent by the time I need to sprint. Tricky, but I've become less shy about taking the lane even if folks have to slow down a bit behind me. If they choose to live that far out in the country while commuting from the big city, what's another few seconds to wait for me to huff and puff across the intersection? That's what I'm planning to tell the first person to complain, assuming I can manage to speak coherently through the asthma attack and possible confrontation with the business end of a pistol.

On my bike, I 'take the lane'. But what really struck me from what you said. Is, that four-way, has no crosswalks. What do they expect pedestrians to do.

IMO there's no one rule for intersections. How I handle each depends on traffic and overall conditions. If there's no traffic, I'd just go across the diagonal, maybe arcing toward the right so I was sort of riding with traffic flow, but not going to the corners. In heavier traffic I'd make the 2 corner maneuver you described (sometimes called a Copenhagen left turn).

If you want to be safe, use your common sense and ride as conditions dictate rather than looking for set rules.