So I tried doing a search for "stopping at intersections" and found a lot about "taking the lane" when approaching a stoplight/intersection, but the question I have is:

Do you pass cars that have stopped ahead of you and stop at front of the line, or do you wait in line with all the other cars?

What if you are going to turn right and have a clear shot to the intersection?

Thanks!

For me, it depends on an intersection by intersection basis.

For example, the intersection of Ashland/Elston/Armitage in Chicago, heading north on Elston. Many motorists take a Right turn on to Ashland from the Left lane of Elston. This is bad if you are a cyclist continuing north on Elston as people turn through your path, often times in to you, without regard. In this case I often 'filter' to the front so that when the light turns green I clear the way and avoid the issue.

Another example would be downtown where it is impractical to wait in line if there is enough clearance to go to the front (and it does not impede car traffic, safe to do so). This is sort of the norm downtown anyway.

If safety is not improved or you don't get a real total time savings, why cut? That is the way I look at it.

If I am coming to an intersection first and have to stop, but am continuing through, I take the inside of the right lane and sit far enough ahead that cars that need to make a right turn can do so safely on my right and if I am coming up to a line of cars I wait in line just as you would when you are driving.

I have had motorists roll down their windows to say thank you when they could make that safe right turn and once the light turns green I proceed and continue to take my lane as I need to and it has been rare for any car behind me to honk or do things I would consider hostile.

Passing a line of cars on the right is dangerous under almost any circumstances and be especially dangerous of you filter up at a stop light and get right hooked by a car driver that has no reasonable expectation to have another vehicle pass them on the right. Filtering up to the front and taking off ahead of cars will ensure you have some ticked off drivers behind you.

It rather depends on the circumstances. I will take the lane at an intersection if there are only a few cars and traffic still moves. However, if traffic is backed up three ways from Sunday and there is enough space I will filter through slowly and keep be alert as I come up to the intersection for right turning vehicles. I don't do this when lanes are narrow or there are parked cars on the street.

Pretty much do what previous posters do.

However, sometimes, if there's a series of cars waiting to turn right, I'll find a car without a turn signal on and situate myself so they can clearly see me. Then stay just ahead of them through the light. If they go straight, everybody wins. If they want to turn, maybe next time they'll use a turn signal. I like to reward better communication.

Thanks for the input. Since I'm new to cycling, it's interesting to me to hear what the "norms" are.

Example: If I'm driving a car or bike and come to a 4 way stop, I expect that all other cars/bikes follow the appropriate laws of yielding to the right/whoever got there first, etc. However, it seems that other motorists feel the need to give me the right of way when I'm on my bike, even when they clearly have it. I obviously don't get upset about it (they are trying to be nice) but this confuses the issue to me.

However, having just moved from Alaska, I haven't been in urban areas enough to know what cyclists "should" do in the scenario I asked about in the OP. As a motorist, I wouldn't be upset if I was at a dead stop and a cyclist filtered up (safely) so they could take a right turn. But I realize that other people get upset at things that don't upset me, so I appreciate your responses.

Thanks!

Filtering is something that many cyclists do and thinking that everyone in a car is going to be signalling when they make a right turn is foolish... any time one does this you need to do it with the understanding that you are violating the rules of the road and could be putting yourself at great risk.

I simply hate being to the right of cars at any intersection whether I am stopped or moving and if I wanted to make my way to the front in a multi lane scenario I would feel safer splitting the lane.

In approaching an intersection on a green light I will take a more central place in the lane to discourage cars from overtaking and then making a right turn and in a few problematic intersections where cars have been known to make right turns from the middle lane (unlawful) I ride on the far left as I have had too many close calls.

Wait in line.

I keep in lane and wait out my turn. I think it makes good relations in my small town so that cars don't have to pass me twice, and I don't have to worry about being cut into by a car switching to the right lane.

For me, I take my place in line and stop with traffic. If I'm making a right turn and there's a right turn only lane I move into that lane, the same if I'm making a left turn and there's a left turn only lane. If there is no right or left turn only lanes then I take a lane position that under the given circumstances gives me the highest level of visibility to drivers behind me and is the safest place to make the turn from.

The filtering question as very much a cultural one. In the UK, filtering on the left is generally acceptable and more or less expected by drivers. Tho' there are any number of UK riders who regard it as hazardous. I nearly always did unless the road design suggested otherwise and very rarely had any problems with being left hooked, although I always looked at the traffic and signal situation before going up to the front.

ON the other hand, having read a fair bit on this subject on this forum, it's generally a no-no in the US.

Bike lanes encourage filtering, especially when there is a right turn only lane and a bike lane is to the left of such a lane...

Another thought pursuant to what you said(not instead of, but in addition to), is that, if a cyclist gets out of the line of traffic, it invariably is saying to the motorized traffic that they can proceed, even if that is not what the cyclist intended. So in reference to the OP's question, no, a cyclist should not try to 'but in line'.

I move into traffic, sit big in the lane and wait for the light.

I don't consider moving up in the bike lane to be filtering and, if there's a lane, I'm up there, but a car or two back, to guard against the right-turning drivers who forgot to signal their intentions.

Since the bike lane invites right-hook unhappiness, often I will move into the car lane and leave the bike lane empty. It depends on the circumstances.

If I'm at the front of the lane and waiting for green, I'll scootch to the left, to let right-turn-at-red drivers move along without building a head of steam waiting behind the skinny guy on the bike.

I filter when appropriate and safe. I almost always stop far enough to the left to allow cars to turn right. Some cyclists feel the need to push the crosswalk signal button, which usually involves blocking right turning cars. I almost never do this. First, at most intersection, and all of the ones on my commute, pushing this button does not speed up the timing of the lights.

Often the light will only change when a car runs over a sensor in the road, or, when the crosswalk button is pushed. In cases like this, where there is no car at the intersection to set off the sensor, I will cross over and push the button.

At left turn lanes, I will get into one if it is safe to do so and I see that it will change before I can make it straight through the intersection and catch the light changing to green to go the other way.

Again It helps if there is a car to trip then sensor, and in that case I get behind them since I know I can keep up at least through the intersection. If it is a double left turn, always get in the outside lane so you do not have to cross in front of cars to get to the bike lane. I am surprised by how many don't get this.

If there is no car to trip the sensor, you can sometimes to it with a bike by riding along the groove in the pavement where the sensor is buried. (It is just a thin wire that sends a very small current to the controller when moving steel disturbs the magnetic field. Sometimes bikes spoked wheels will do it. Again, I know which ones on my commute - most of them- will do this.)

It all comes down to knowing your route if you are a regular commuter. If you are joy riding in unfamiliar roads it is better to err on the side of standard road rules.

The vast majority of the time I wait in line. It is a very rare circumstance when there is a benefit to filtering.

As atbman said, filtering is generally more accepted and expected in the UK. Whether to do it or not really depends on the junction. If I'm turning left and the car in front of me isn't, I'll filter forward and position myself ahead and on the left within a clear line of sight to the driver. When the light turns green, I can then just turn left and people don't have to wait for me to get there. If I'm going straight on or turning right and there are two or more lanes going in that direction, I may filter forward and take the leftmost lane when the light changes, or just wait in line depending on the traffic density. Left-on-red doesn't apply here unless there's a green filter arrow, so if I notice that there is one and I'm going straight on, I'll position myself over to the right so left-turning traffic can pass.

I never ride between a line of cars and a curb. I'll wait in line. Or pull onto the sidewalk, dismount, and walk to the intersection. Especially if I'm on a secondary road, and waiting for a light at a major thoroughfare. There are times when you are better off being a pedestrian.

Here's the scenario I hate. At the head of the line of 5 cars at the light is a guy turning left, and there's a line of cars across the way going straight. As the left turner moves farther into the intersection and the space on the right opens up, you are guaranteed to have the cars going straight edge over to the right to pass. The last thing that any of those drivers is going to do is check their passenger side mirror to see if a bike is coming between them and the curb.

My answer would depend on a hundred variables including your physical and mental capabilities and what bike you are riding. Basically, I am going to do whatever is the safest move for me. Reaching my destination in one piece takes priority over any and all official rules of the road. If it is safer for me to wait, I wait. If not, I go. Go is the default for me but often it makes more sense to line up with the traffic and follow along. On my road bike I can roar with the traffic up to 30mph, and hold that speed for about 30 seconds barring nasty headwinds. This capability offers me loads of options in traffic. If I were riding a beach cruiser with a slow leak in the rear tire, my technique would be vastly different. Also your local and the disposition of the motorists should be taken into account. Where I live (New Orleans) motorists offer/ask no quarter to/from cyclists. So I/we take what I/we need while our motorists expect that and for the most part tolerate me/us. Other sensible areas of the world might tempt me to please motorists with politeness more often.

Use your head. Look both ways before crossing the street. Try to foresee the immediate future in traffic (the next five seconds at least). Get home alive at all costs.

If I was sharing the lane I continue sharing it through at reduced speed and with extra caution. If I was taking the lane I wait in line.

I agree w/JoeyBike. In a scenario like mprelaw describes, I would probably do something like what he does. Fortunately my commute is in a "bike friendly" city, and I rarely have situations like that. I often pass cars lined up in rush hour jam-ups like that, but usually there is a bike lane, or a wide shoulder. I never do it at a speed that precludes evasive action (usually braking). If there are drive ways I slow considerably and become hyper-alert.

If I do get on a sidewalk due to lack of bike lane or adequate shoulder, I am very careful approaching driveways, and always yield to walkers. Not a problem, since "Nobody Walks in LA"

All situations are different. You will develop tactics for dealing with them as you gain experience. Err on the side of caution, and always assume that people in cars, and on bikes, will do something stupid or careless.