I've done an 1,100 mile solo bike tour and am accustomed sharing the road with traffic when there are no bike lanes. I'm headed to Minneapolis-St. Paul and will be bringing my bike, but I don't have experience with urban bike infrastructure. Hoping for some help predicting what the rules/protocol would be to turn left at this intersection, for example. Behind the POV of this image are two lanes of traffic (one going straight, the other turning left), and a bollard-protected bike lane. To turn left, would I follow the green hashes and wait for the traffic going straight to pass before following the green hashes on the other side of the intersection? I'd love to understand this before I'm riding it. Many thanks!
by CuriousAboutBison
5 Comments
It depends on traffic volume/speed.
If it’s safe enough to take the lane, merge from the bike lane to the travel lanes at the most convenient place and utilize the left turn lane (waiting for appropriate signals).
If the street sees high speeds and/or dense traffic, I’d do a 2-phase turn — first going straight, then waiting with the cross traffic to go across using the bike lane.
This style of bike infrastructure isn’t the best for left turns, but they do have an advanced bike waiting area ahead of the stop bar on the right (in front of the Lays van in your screenshot). So assuming traffic on the right is stopped where they should be, your “supposed” to do the second option — go straight and veer off the path a little to the right to wait in the green box in front of the cars before heading off to the left.
Welcome and it is so much better with your bike here! Yes following the bike lane and waiting until the light changes on the far side of the intersection before turning left is so much less stressful than merging into traffic, turning left from the left turn lane, and then going to the bike lane. Either method is okay but use your judgement.
Yes, this is a 2, stage left turn. Cross the intersection straight across, then hook right to wait in the green box you can see in the very top right of the photo (in front of the chip truck). Wait there until the crossing street is green and proceed straight through the intersection in the bike lane.
Alternatively, if traffic is light, merge to the far left lane, take the lane, and turn left, yielding to oncoming traffic same as a vehicle would. Merge back right into the bike lane after turning.
Don’t try to hook left from the side bike lane; this would not be a protected move at any phase of the light. Either do the 2-phase left, or drive like a car.
This is a 5 year old account with no history posting a traffic screenshot, expecting interpretations. This is AI training.
You might get a 2-second head start, where a walk sign is given before the traffic light turns green. I always assume the walk sign also applies to bicycles in this context.