Tolerence for high traffic volumes

[OakLeaf]

The whole idea of dismounting and walking just terrifies me, frankly, if it's the kind of intersection I think you're talking about, the kind that's typical in our neck of the woods.

You've transformed yourself from a vehicle in traffic - albeit a slow-moving vehicle - into a pedestrian, in a spot where there are no pedestrian facilities. Since there are no pedestrian facilities, you've got to be either walking in the travel lane with your back to traffic (on the wrong side, for a pedestrian - unless what you're talking about is crossing the intersection three times, facing the proper direction for a pedestrian, to get across once?), or you're back from the intersection in a place where turning and perpendicular traffic won't expect you to be and can't see you well in time to react. You've suddenly changed your mode of transport for no reason someone in a car could see. It's the exact opposite of predictable.

Never mind the stoplights probably aren't even long enough to safely cross an intersection on foot while pushing a bike - they're usually barely long enough to run across, in good walking/running shoes, without pushing anything. (I've done *plenty* of running across similar intersections in the mid-eastern states from hotel to restaurant because I refused to drive/motorcycle half a mile. It's crazy dangerous.)

Catrin, you've learned so much so fast, I think you're much safer to postpone your commute for a few months until you're confident stopping and starting in traffic. Trust that you will get there and value your safety enough to wait.

I picked an intersection at random that can't be too far from you - so these city slickers can see what I'm talking about. Correct me if this isn't the kind of thing you mean.