Most of my rides I'm on a pretty nice MUP in CO for 15-20 miles or so until I hit the roads.

Now, when I first started I would always wait patiently at a red light on the island/crosswalk and only cross when I got the little green walk sign. I began to notice I only had problems with cars at intersections and kept wondering why the roadies would always go through the intersections on reds when traffic was clear.

Anyways, fast forward a few months-year later and I'm doing the same thing. Come to a stop, but as soon as traffic is clear make my way across half way, and repeat to the other side. I'm now avoiding all right turners in opposite direction in left hand turn lanes on green, people pulling up to the top of the crosswalk and blocking the path entrance, and of course being rear ended while you wait at a light among other things.

So, am I a complete idiot? Is my thinking totally off base? How many of you are doing the same thing?

I'm confused. Why are you in the crosswalk?

This gets into one of my pet peeves.....

As a cyclist, I'm supposed to follow the same rules and laws as any other vehicle. That means stopping at stop lights and waiting for the green lights. No riding on the sidewalk! Frankly, you're safer that way because you're behaving in a predictable manner.

This is why I largely avoid a couple of the MUPs around here that have a lot of at-grade crossings. Not only does vehicle traffic largely ignore or willfully menace you, the riders...

I was out a while back for an exercise ride down one of the MUPs. I like to go at my own pace, and I also like to follow the law - I stop at crossings, and cross with lights. Anyway, I pass a few other cyclists who are traveling much slower than me, and then come to an intersection, where I stop to wait for the light. These other folks just barely slow down, and blow on through. The light changes 20 seconds later, and I catch them and have to pass them again. Repeat this eleventy thousand more times, and it adds up to a lot of frustration.

Now, I tend to just ride on roads with less traffic, and eschew the MUPs.

i'm glad to hear here in my city drivers seems to be more civilized for the most part

except for kids on their souped up cars/trucks

most normal drivers even give us the bikers the right of way, even when they don't need to.

"Walk" signs are for pedestrians. If I have to cross a road that doesn't have a vehicle-specific control (light, stop sign or whatever) then I treat it as an uncontrolled intersection and just go through when there's a safe gap in traffic. Nobody has to slow or stop or even notice me. That's worked out to be much safer than expecting cars to stop and then riding in front of them.

I'm on the 470 MUP twice a week and I do the same thing you do. Complete stop, check traffic, move to island, check traffic, cross the rest of the way. I find that if I wait for the light, the motorist (or string of motorists) making a right turn doesn't have a clue that I'm there and takes off as soon as the light changes without looking to his/her right. I usually try to make eye contact, but most of the time they are focussed on the traffic approaching from the left.

I am also confused about what you are asking. could you be more specific?

Rules break down in the real world. Ask me how I handle an intersection, and my answer is "which intersection?" At some intersections, I know that a lot of people will be turning right - so I don't want to be there. At others, the sight lines suck, so I'm not likely to try to go on the red. I think you just have to get to know the intersections and traffic flow that are part of your commute and act accordingly.

If you are on a bike lane road, then ride like you are any other vehicle on the road. That means obeying traffic laws. Stop when red, go when green etc. If your MUP happens to lead you across a street (at grade crossing) like the some of the ones here in Vancouver, then you have to use the crosswalk lights. I know it can be confusing. Take it easy. Ride with the flow legally and safely.

PeanutDance, do what is safest for you. If you've noticed that your current actions are reducing the potential for Car-Bicycle encounters, then keep at it.

Its one of the unfortunate problems with Denver's bicycle infrastructure.

Many street crossings for bicycle routes involve crosswalks or sidewalks. Where possible, I will avoid these crossings and cross at a safe road, however, in a few particular intersections, this isn't really possible.

This happens to be one. (Turn the street view camera around facing east)

If I'm on the bicycle route on 7th Ave heading East and wish to continue, I must get on the sidewalk, and cross at the crosswalk. I *could* continue down Colorado like the rest of Eastbound traffic and turn left at 6th Ave, this poses more safety issues in my opinion then simply waiting at the crosswalk.

And yes, I could completely avoid 7th Ave, but I love the ride down that street.

If you're traveling along the MUP I'm talking about (C-470) you don't really have a choice, it crosses at grade at/through crosswalks at every major intersection.

https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&...1,0.00269&z=19

https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=3...16.39,,0,11.64

Assume you're traveling eastbound along the trail. The idea is to get across the road before the cars who took the offramp traveling westbound on C470, and are waiting at the red light, get the green light (along with your green walk light) and start making right hand turns behind cars taking a left and not seeing you.

This is the same MUP I'm talking about, there are certain intersections that seem worse than others (highlands ranch drivers seem more oblivious). Otherwise it is very convenient.

Again, this is just for when you're on a MUP or bike trail and it spits you out onto the islands with crosswalks in an intersection. I do take the lane and know how to handle myself on the road, and I will stop completely and wait at red lights in that case, no filtering, etc, these just present a different situation.

wow, that's crazy.

every intersection is different of course. some I wait for my green light. some I wait until ALL traffic has a red but do take off before my lane gets the green