DunderXIII

+2!

threeflys

I don't maneuver to make sure someone is in front of me (I usually sit in the crosswalk), I just let the car sitting next to me go through the intersection first. Look at any driver training and they will tell you the same thing, no matter what you're driving/riding. It's also a good idea to take a look, no doubt.

I do have one exception to this rule...when I'm in a left turn lane with an arrow. I pull up far enough for the car behind me to trip the signal and then go when the light is green, after looking of course. I NEVER sit behind any cars at an intersection unless there is no possible way to ride around them.

squeakywheel

B is my prefered location if I'm the first one to the light. No sense making someone wait to turn right if I don't need to occupy the whole lane.

C is OK if I'm not the first to the light. The other option is to sit in line behind the cars in the right lane. I've done this both ways successfully. Wait in line or filter to the right.

squeakywheel

With option B, you are still occupying the lane. I've never had anyone blast around me on the right side while I was in position B.

nemo

I agree "b" allows you to take the lane and allow right turners thru, most will even wait untill you wave them thru. this makes the driver 'give' you control.

Throwmeabone

I always get in position B in the left tire track. I don't think there is anything dangerous about being courteous and letting right turners get by. I've never had a motorist try to pull up alongside and go straight and I don't see why they would.

Also to the OP, I would only take position C or D at an intersection where it's not possible for vehicles to turn right.

apricissimus 

Does anyone else think that it's often too difficult/dangerous to get into position B to begin with? Yeah, it's the best place to be, but I find that motorists are usually usually too aggressive to allow me to go across the lane (they won't let me in if I'm on the right), and traffic is too thick to just take it without waiting for an opening.

Maybe because I almost always ride on busy city streets? I'm surprised that more people haven't brought up the fact that getting to point B might not even be possible given the traffic conditions.

Most the time when I come to an intersection where the right lane can either turn right or go straight, I filter through on the right as much as I feel is reasonable given the space to ride in, density of traffic, number of cars with turn signals on, etc. So more often I wind up at points C and D.

I'd prefer to be at B, but if it's not doable, C and D are not terrible solutions. They are certainly not the "deathtraps" some made them out to be, as long as you are aware of your surrounding, know what to look out for, and are as assertive as the motorists around you. Proof? I'm still alive after countless intersections at points C and D

sojourn

C is the correct answer. B will get you rear ended or mowed over by the cars going straight as you slowly pick up speed and they are looking at the cars turning in front of them not at all expecting a bicycle to their left crossing in front of them left to right.
Your C position should keep you far enough into the lane to indicate your intent to go straight ahead. It's ok for the cars turning right to wait for you.
All these folks indicating B are just future accident statistics waiting to happen.

Throwmeabone

You couldn't be more wrong.. C and D are excellent ways to get right hooked while trying to cross the intersection. The most common types of bicycle-vehicle collisions are right hooks and left hooks, which B puts you in the best position to avoid. Collisions from the rear are relatively rare.

Throwmeabone

If I can't get to B, I would stay in line with the cars at the light while taking the lane slightly to the left of C and D. Do you use your left arm to signal and turn your head around? When I do that, I usually find someone who is willing to accommodate me but I don't really ride in the city, I live in suburbia.

turtletwins2002

Speaking from experience, I used to often line up in position B in order to allow me to waive right turners through. However, I now line up at C or between C and B. The reason: I was in position B, waving right turners through, assuming only right turners would slip by. However, the light changed from red to green, the straight though traffic took my waive to mean I was waiving them through. After 10 or so cars slid by on my right, picking up speed with each car, with me sitting there like a sitting duck between lines of moving traffic, I made the decision that B is about the worst place I could B. If its not too busy, B may be fine but with heavy traffic, I will take C or between B and C.

Jarery

If a couple of cars are already at the light, i might sit in the middle of the lane behind the car or two in front of me, and when the light turns I go forward, through the intersection, then move to the right once through.

If there are half a dozen cars, i'll filter up the side and sit off the rear bumper of the first car in line, so between c and d in your pic. This way I wont get right hooked by the driver as he'd have to go over the curb in order to hit me, and I can see the driver of the second car, and he can see me.

If there are no cars when i pull up, i'd go for B.

threeflys

Why would you guys ever wait in line with the cars? That's a sure way to get rear ended! I've actually had a CHP officer tell my class that when on a motorcycle to actually pull up between at least a couple of cars at a red light to avoid getting smacked from behind. I don't know why a bike would be any different. Now, I say this from the persepctive that I'm usually in position C and would be impeding the cars behind as I cross the intersection. And as I said before, I'm never the first one through the intersection. I really can't see a cop writing a citation for a cyclist pulling up to the crosswalk...

uke

I stick to C--as close to the right fork as possible. I can't imagine making my way to B unless I were far ahead of any cars as I rolled to a stop at the light. And upon the green, I wouldn't feel comfortable having cars try to pass me on the right while sandwiched between cars heading opposite on my left. In general, I prefer the right half of the rightmost lane, as it offers the best chance of escape onto grass, sidewalk, etc, in an emergency.

TalkingHead

what is the safe way to get over to the shoulder and onto the sidewalk to just use the pedestrian crossway? I still get to nervous in mid day traffic to act like a car on a bicycle when it comes to major intersections and roads.

urban_assault

No wonder drivers freak out when they see cyclists. Since we have so many different opinions on where we are supposed to place ourselves at an intersection, the drivers behind us get frustrated.

"OK, what is this biker gonna do here?"




For the record, I have a couple of intersections on my ride like the OP describes, except no bike lanes.
I take the lane at the intersection no matter if I am first, second, or last in line. When the light turns green
I proceed through the intersection and move over to the right once up and running. So I guess my
answer to the OP's question would be between B and C.

Bekologist

any one may be best depending on traffic dynamics at the time.

Grim

Most of the intersections where I am in this situation have a gore where right turners will be behind me if I am the first vehicle. I will not be mixing with the right turners. I am also on roads with a 40+mph speed limit most of the time.

Most instance I am in C. Right turn on red is only if it is clear. If a car going straight was there then they would have to stop anyway. I feel C gives me visibility to the first car. If they are turning right they will be looking right at me. I do concede that if somebody is coming up behind me after I have stopped and they are looking for a gap there is a good chance they will rear end me but I don't see position B much of an improvement. Probably still get clipped there for drivers that self absorbed.

I am not opposed to B but the likely hood of me being in that position is slim. B is not an option all that often. I ride the white line if I am not making a left. 95% of the time there is already a car at the intersection and I am pulling up next to them and they are already stopped and if they have on a turn signal I line up behind them on the right side of the lane but out far enough that the car behind has to stay behind me till I move back over.

D=Dead. You are in the cars blind spot if you are behind the passenger door and even at the passenger door some people have blinders to anything not visible out the windshield.

cooker

I pick C, but it's actually an assertive C+. I've been in B, and had cars pass me on the right as I started forward and drifted right. I also feel like B is like you're deliberately provoking motorists. I sit far forward into the crosswalk, and I repeatedly glance at the car off my left hip and make sure I am noticed. just before the light changes I stand up on the pedals and start to inch forwards, knowing that my movement makes me more visible, but I am always on guard for cross traffic coming through late after the light has changed.

ch9862

It depends on the circumstances - how much traffic there is, how fast, how wide the intersection, etc. Not to mention your own level of comfort in such traffic.

You have a valid strategy with B, as long as you know what you're gonna do when someone going straight lines up next to you. Because when the light changes, you might find yourself having to cross through a line of cars going straight. If you're OK with that, there's no problem. Otherwise you might want to think about getting in front of (or behind) such a straight going car, before the light changes and hugging the lane.

Others may know more though.

SheepFugue

Yeah, I haven't known how to reply since I might use B, C, or D, depending on whether I'm in nyc or jersey and whether there's right on red. Going east to west: New york drivers treat me like I have a separate bike lane whether it's painted or not and I filter up the right to get to the front, asserting myself just as the light changes (position C). I'll only claim a lane if I need it for a left turn. In genteel jersey drivers treat me like I'm in the line-up even if I remain on the shoulder so I stay there and take my turn when it comes (position D, however far back that is when I arrive). In parts of jersey where they are less clear on a. how to treat bikes and b. how to drive in general, I'll take B if there's right on red or the lane if there's not.

Even though there's no official hand signal for "going straight" there are some times when I catch the eye of the driver next to me to indicate this by pointing ahead, which takes care of the problem of drivers not knowing whether I'm a cyclist who would signal a turn or not.

10 Wheels

Agree. Center of the lane at this stop.

sojourn

So we all agree at this point, C is the correct answer!........LOL......LOL........

I_bRAD

B is the correct answer.
You don't have to switch positions after the intersection, you continue on in your lane and if there's someone behind you... sucks that they don't have a bike. You're gonna be through the intersection and moved over before the cars start moving anyhow.

C is an ok spot if right hand turns are not permitted on the red, but if they are then you're just holding up traffic for no good reason. C is just asking for someone to take your lane anyhow, so if right turns are not permitted then somewhere between B and C is the best spot.

CB HI

B is correct.
Why use C and invite right hooks. Even with D you can get right hooked from the car behind.