Dogbait

I have used that intersection before the blue lane was installed but I usually tried to find another route. My riding in that area was mostly north/south so if I wanted to use the Broadway Bridge, I would usually approach it from Interstate Avenue or Flint St. If I wanted to go east on Weidler, I would approach from 7th or 9th Av.


I would never pass a car with it's right turn signal lit on the right. I have been successful in avoiding the questions of who is right, at fault or will be prosecuted by avoiding putting myself in a position to be hit.

At this particular intersection, if you want to move into the may turn right lane, you need to do it several blocks back from the intersection... very heavy traffic there all day long.

JohnBrooking

I agree completely. But I wonder if all cyclists who are using the blue lane agree, or if they assume that the cars will yield to them. How do cyclists in the blue lane know when it's safe to go when there are cars to their left that could be turning right? Not everyone uses their turn signals, and motorists sometimes change their minds at the last moment.

noisebeam

Why not put sharrows in the middle of the thru/RT lane?

Al

Bekologist

bikes and cars are still going to have to cross paths, al. sharrows leading up to an intersection won't provide the awareness factor a blue lane does to crossing and turning traffic that bikes are transiting the intersection. bikes to the right of turning traffic is problematic, though, and one not well addressed by sharrows.

donnamb 

I can see how that would have been the alternative approach before the changes were made. People still approach from Flint, but even more avoid it because that's one of the popular sites for police to have their bike stings. It's funny because now only the sort of rider who would avoid Broadway/Weidler are the ones who are even too timid to go across the Broadway Bridge.

I think there are many factors for why this arrangement works there. There's no magic bullet. I'd never assume anything, but I've lived in the Midwest, Philadelphia, and spent a lot of time in NYC and Los Angeles. I have to say that Portland motorists are some of the most consistent turn signal users I've ever encountered. That helps us out immensely, and I think our presence might actually reinforce the habit. On a road like Broadway, we are very visible. I'm not saying there aren't any motorists who are blind to bikes, but there are far fewer than what I see when I visit my aunt in Los Angeles, for instance. This road is an approach to a bridge with heavy bicycle traffic. The motorists are very much expecting us to be there, and a lot of them are actually afraid of us - of our sheer numbers. (I can't even begin to describe to you the amount of bike congestion we have on that bridge and one other in the mornings. It's unreal.) We don't have very many last-minute lane changers on Broadway because it moves too fast, is too congested, and Portlanders in general aren't inherently aggressive enough drivers to be taking those kinds of chances.

I also think cyclists of all varieties tend to be more alert and cautious on Broadway. It moves at a far faster pace than most of the streets we usually ride on in the inner core of the city. It's hard to explain, but if you're a ped, cyclist, or motorist, you'd have to be drunk or mentally ill to not pick up on the "pay attention!" vibe of that road. When PDOT redesigns intersections like the one pictured above, they really do take their unique factors into consideration.