cyccommute 

As a very old cyclist who learned how to play in traffic before those stupid green boxes started appearing everywhere, I would caution against depending on them too much. The placement of the boxes lulls you into bad habits that can, ultimately, be dangerous.

Using mcours2006's link again as illustration, that box next to the truck should be avoided while the truck is making a right turn. He will have to swing wide on the turn and you could find yourself in between a truck and a car. They would pop you like a engorged tick!

When making the left turn at night, make the left turn from the left lane. Get in line behind the cars in the middle of the lane and proceed like you would in a car. Don't try to filter forward because that puts you in an unexpected place for the drivers and, again, that's a good way of doing some tick popping.

Just stay in the left turn lane and wait your turn. As you make the turn, swing a bit further right at the end of the turn to get into the bike lane. Cars can't really go around the corner much faster than you can and they (probably) won't try to run you over. They also have 3 lanes to choose from so they won't be angling for the bike lane.

DiabloScott

I contend that it is unsafe to take the inside line around a right corner with traffic also turning right (on your left) - I don't think I've ever seen a right turn bike lane marked like you're proposing - that's why bike lanes generally disappear before intersections with right turn lanes. Whether there's a right turn dedicated car lane or an optional right turn lane, the best, safest, defensible place to position yourself for a right turn is in the lane with traffic.


The graphic from SFBC doesn't show a right turn lane for either cars or bikes, and doesn't show a bike turning right - what it shows is correct, but it's not relevant to this conversation.

https://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/cam...014-Chap9C.pdf

wphamilton

You are right. The bike anywhere in that bike lane merge, including parts of the car lane itself, is merging. For safety we need to be merged, behind the car, not beside one.

And looking again at the orange side BTW, the bicyclist can do better there also. In principle I do the same thing as the orange cyclist passing on the left as the car turns, but the orange car isn't even in the intersection yet. It could be a random drift to the right, as some drivers do, and I don't want to be beside him in his blind spot if he corrects and yanks back to the left. The car should commit to the right turn before the cyclist passes on the left.

acidfast7

Nein.

Colnago Mixte

Might I suggest a new emoticon for this board?



I can guarantee it will be used at least a dozen times a day around here, and would save people a lot of typing.

acidfast7

Nein.

PatrickGSR94

Well sure, I would agree that it's safer to drop the bike lane before an intersection, and make the right turn from within the RTO lane. But there are MANY places where there is no dedicated RTO lane, and the bike lane (should be) dashed as it approaches the intersection. That way a car can merge into the bike lane to make a right turn, to prevent a right hook. If you leave the bike lane with the intention of turning right, then you could have other cyclists come up behind you, still in the bike lane, going straight. Then how do you make your right? Wait for them to clear, while holding up traffic behind you, and turn across the bike lane? Try to bully your way across their path in front of them?

My point is, don't turn across the bike lane, whether in a car or on a bicycle. *edit* except when there's a large truck turning. Never be to the right of a large truck that's also turning right. Stay behind it.

BTW I did see a photo on Facebook just last week of a bike lane along a busy road, which changed to dashed lines, and then a RTO traffic lane appeared to the right of the bike lane leading up to the intersection (very common design in Florida). But then another bike lane also continued off to the right of the RTO lane, and it was marked as a RTO bike lane. In that instance I think the laws (exceptions) applying to dual right-turn lanes would be applied there.

*edit* like this: https://goo.gl/maps/EzPbiK2YUJq

DiabloScott

Yup, never seen that kind of lane marking before - but it does look like it would work at that location because of the long radius corner - especially if it's a protected green lane.

RubeRad

Is that just a fancy way of saying 'u mite get skwished'?

alan s 

Never get into an argument with a pedantic German.

RubeRad

Never get into an argument with a Sicilian WHEN DEATH IS ON THE LINE

gregjones

This.

work4bike

I don't understand the rationale behind that requirement, especially in a dedicated turning lane. I treat a right turning lane the same as a left turning lane, where I take the lane and make the turn. Perfectly in line with my state laws.


BTW OP, I would never make a right turn from the bike lane, simply because on a bike your actions should be predictable; the bike lane is for cyclists going straight thru the intersection. If you want to make a right, take the lane, you are part of traffic, it's the right thing to do. Sometimes, because of road conditions we can't give handsignals, so you being in the turning lane lets others know you're turning, staying in the bike lane signals that you're going straight.

Statutes & Constitution :View Statutes : Online Sunshine

PatrickGSR94

Well if you're in a car, in the RTO lane, then usually you're already "as near as practicable" to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway. But that also covers roads without RTO lanes, making it clear that you must use the right lane to make a right turn, meaning that turning across the right lane from another lane is illegal. And if there's a bike lane to the right of that right-hand travel lane, you should merge into the bike lane (when it's clear) to prevent cyclists from coming up on your right side.

If there's a RTO lane and you're on a bike and turning right, then stay center or left of center in the RTO lane, more or less in line with the drivers of the other vehicles, for best visibility.

I think that right turning law would apply to cyclists in that, if the RTO lane is to the right of a thru bike lane (as it should be), then right turning cyclist should use that RTO lane, instead of trying to turn right from the bike lane by turning ACROSS the RTO lane.

cyccommute 

I think of it as a more elegant way of saying 'u mite get skwished'. But, yes, it's the same thing.

alan s 

acidfast7

I always remember that scene for "never fight a land war in Asia." (paraphrased).

work4bike

"Well if you're in a car, in the RTO lane,..."

Yes, then that quoted statement makes sense; I was reading it from a cyclist's perspective....

Notso_fastLane

This is pretty much the most practical, realistic, and predictable thing you can do. There may be some specific intersections where it doesn't apply, but this is good general advice.