Construction Season (From The Flagger's Point Of View) And Cyclists
 

(Note to Mods: Not sure if it should go here, or in General Discussion. Please move if thread is in the wrong spot)

I'm a cyclist, but my occupation is that of a Traffic Control Person (flagger) at road construction sites. Below, is my observations of cyclists at construcion zones over the last few years. Which cyclist are you?

Construction season is here. This means lane closures, single lane alternating traffic and other stuff. Most cyclists are fairly good at staying out of the coned off areas (unless the flagger says otherwise), will wait until directed to proceed (usually ahead of traffic). These are the cyclists who set a GOOD example for the rest of us out there. Many are interesting to talk to as well.:)

Sadly, there are those who will set the exact opposite example and make cyclists look bad. :notamused: These are the ones who ignore the fact that a lane may be coned off for a reason (One such ****** got clothes-lined off his bike by the guy on a small pavement roller as a result) or blow past a flagger (me), oblivious to oncoming traffic, who tried to ride down my supervisor. The motorist who was waiting said I should have stuck my staff through the spokes of the cyclist's wheel.

All I ask, is this: In all Provinces/Territories of Canada and (so far as I know) all states and overseas territories of the US, please follow what the signs indicate and follow the flagger's directions. If in doubt, ask. If they (flagger) aren't sure, their supervisor should know.

Stay safe, enjoy the ride and be nice to the flaggers out there. Thanks.

In general I've had good experiences when riding through construction zones and have found the flaggers and others to be friendly and considerate. But there was one counter example. Two of us were riding together and were first in line when the flagger indicated our direction should stop. He then told us that we should wait for the whole row of cars on our side to go through before joining them at the end of the line. My response was that we'd agree *if* he made sure that the other direction of traffic wouldn't be allowed to start until we were through the one-lane zone. He assured us he'd do that and we waited as instructed when it was time for our direction of traffic to go.

Needless to say a gap formed between us and the last car going in our direction and as soon as that car reached the end of the const. zone the flagger at that end let the other direction of traffic proceed - straight at us and we were forced to jump out of the way with our heavily loaded touring bikes.

So if you're instructing the flaggers be sure they remember to instruct the one at the other end if there are bicyclists coming through and to wait for the last cyclist, not just the last car/truck before allowing traffic to proceed through a zone too narrow for sharing.

I understand your description of the situation, prathmann, but I'm having a hard time understanding how the flaggers in your case made that mistake.

Since long before I was born, there have been systems for flaggers to communicate to each other when it is clear for opposite-direction traffic to proceed, whether they can see each other, talk via radio, pass a baton with the last car in a platoon (your bike, in this instance), or whatever.

It sounds like you experienced serious negligence or incompetence, at least.

And +1 to Fargo. Be nice to the flaggers. It's hot (or cold, or wet, or something rotten) and dangerous out there and it's a good thing for all of us that they're on the job.

I love construction zones. I much prefer having the packs of animated machines come in discreet groups separated by peace and quiet. I really enjoyed the highway work on my 45 mile commute a few years back. They would close the road for twenty minutes at a stretch, but the flaggers always told me to just ride on through.

I really can't imagine being a jerk to the flaggers. It's so easy to follow their instructions, which are mostly "slow" or "stop" (my only two speeds) and I've never met one who wasn't interested in making things as safe for me as possible.