Heading southbound through this intersection is my personal hell, but it's unavoidable. This intersection is the worst part of my commute by far. Its part of a .75 mile stretch where the city hasn't connected a major separated path with painted bike lanes. I've tried it several ways and so far the pink route has felt the safest.
Some additional context/info:
-This intersection is between two arterial roads close to a highway interchange, so speeding is common and almost expected. Cars are rarely going the 35/40mph speed limit, usually they're going closer to 55. Drivers on this route are on their way home and very impatient.
– Red option: I'm on a trike, so I can travel at sidewalk speeds much safer/easier than a bike without dismounting, but the curbs/improper curb cuts jostle me a hell of a lot more than they'd jostle a bike, so I try to avoid them for the sake of me/my equipment. I'm also at this intersection around when a lot of kids are on the sidewalks walking home from school, and it adds about 5-10 minutes to my commute depending on light timing.
– Yellow option: I'm pretty sure this is what I am "supposed" to do based on road laws and general road use conventions. It also feels like the most likely to get me killed. Knowing that the right lane ends, most drivers merge to the left early, but some use the soon-to-end right lane as an opportunity to floor it and get past as many cars as possible before merging into a single lane. I'm terrified that someone will try that while I'm in the lane and hit me from behind going 40+mph. I've had one close call, and I'm grateful that car saw me in time and had working brakes. I will not be trying this route again.
– Pink option: I get yelled at by a car around 50% of the time when I use this route, but I haven't had any actual close calls beyond people intentionally trying to scare me by zooming by after the bike lane reappears and I can safely move to the right. I'm stressed as hell while there, but I also feel like this positions me in a way where a potential collision with a car is less likely to happen and also less likely to kill me.
I'm not very fast, and I'm not very experienced on roads, are my instincts here correct?
by diamond-refinement
16 Comments
Hint, there’s a sidewalk, follow it. There’s probably a safe crossing down the road.
Yellow path for me.
But I’d take the lane much earlier.
I am always in awe at the bike commuters in the US that brave 6-lane intersections on a bike. That looks like absolute hell.
In my city in France we have bike paths or bike lanes essentially everywhere, and to go anywhere in the city cycling is usually tje fastest option. I don’t think I’d have the balls to commute by bike if I had to cross that intersection.
I don’t have an answer for you, but I respect your resolve and I wish you the best of luck for your commute!
Yellow is the “correct” option (and is what I’d do). I understand the (red) alternative of moving to the sidewalk if cycling on the sidewalk is legal in this location, though you do need to be deferential to pedestrians.
I do not understand what you think you’re doing with the pink option, or why you believe this is safer. That option is likely straight-up illegal. When a bike lane is not available or not safe to use, a cyclist can take the lane in the *rightmost* lane, but cannot use other lanes unless avoiding a hazard or setting up to turn left.
I wouldn’t. I play the odds and the odds are that sooner or later something very bad will happen here.
I regularly go 2-3 miles out of my way to avoid riding in situations like that.
Man, this town or city sucks. Narrow sidewalks, no bike lanes, super side slip lane… boy that’s bad.
I would go with yellow. Take the lane before the intersection, and then try to get through it as soon as possible.
I would avoid the whole area. I’ll take the long way.
i’d ride in the lane like i was a car (yellow)
I’d dismount and use the sidewalk as a pedestrian if I couldn’t avoid this intersection.
Yellow line for sure. Take the lane way back from the slip lane so drivers know you’re going straight. That’s the most predictable way, and predictable is safest. Not to mention that where I’ve lived it would be the legal option.
The pink line is going to encourage drivers to pass you on the right, and I avoid doing that.
If you aren’t comfortable on the road, the red line would the next option. Walk or ride if it’s legal or commonly done where you are. Better to be slow than scared or hit.
Act like a driver. Follow those rules and stay to whichever side keeps you safer.
In a car. I am not suicidal.
Sidewalks but in reality I’d never take this route. No need to be a statistic for some driver.
Yellow of course.
Just curious about one thing through we see only one fragment of a zebra striped pedestrian crosswalk. That seems to go nowhere. Pedestrians can’t cross the road there?
Yellow. You might have had one scare there, but realistically a lot more people are going to go fast in the left lane, than in the right.
Red for me. This doesn’t look like an area where pedestrians are a concern, but you can dismount if they are present. I would dismount for the crosswalk. Wait until there is a good gap and never assume drivers will stop for you.
I’ll take the inconvenience and extra time to get of a busy lane like that.