Traffic situation

[carlotta]

If traffic generally makes it through the light in one cycle, I'd just pretend to be a car, and *maybe* move right as people get moving if it's wide enough/you're comfortable with people passing you as they speed up. If you have any doubt about that, stay in the middle of the lane, they can wait.

If traffic takes a couple cycles to get through the light, I would try to avoid sitting in traffic (breathing exhaust is fun...). Either do the right side filter like you did, or is there a sidewalk you could jump on, get to the crosswalk, and walk your bike across? (or carefully jump back into stopped traffic at the front/right of the lane) Not sure how popular/proper those options are, but I'll do either from time to time.

[Catrin]

Thanks for your comments Carlotta. There is a pretty sharp edge of pavement right there and they are also doing road work. I COULD get over in the grass but things get funky closer to the intersection and I think it would be difficult to get back into the flow of traffic. Today the light changed twice...and I hate to breathe that exhaust. Obviously I will need to play it by ear for each commute - and there really isn't a better route.

[Melalvai]

Riding up the right side is generally a very bad idea and puts you at risk of a right hook. Drivers aren't expecting to see a bike there.

I'd take my place in line. If the road is wide enough to share the lane, then once traffic gets moving you can move toward the right. If it is not wide enough, keep your place in the middle of the lane, and cars can pass you using the left lane when it is clear of oncoming traffic.

Here's a really helpful and well done video that demonstrates "taking the lane" and why it is a good idea any time the lane is not wide enough to share.

[hebe]

I get a similar situation to this when queuing for the roundabout near my home. I can't go on the pavement (sidewalk) as I have the trailer on the back. I take the lane (well I have to really, with the trailer), and either scoot the bike with my feet, or wait until the gap ahead of me is long enough to justify pushing off. dh reminded me that just because a car crawls 6inches forward doesn't mean that I have to. Re the fumes - I just console myself with the fact that cyclists breathe in less exhaust fumes than everyone sat in the queue in their cars.

[lph]

If there's not much room, it sounds like you should just stay in line. That is always an acceptable and legal solution. It can piss off drivers if you move very slowly, like up a hill for instance, so it helps traffic flow if you're alert, prepared to start quickly and move over a little if appropriate. But do stay centred and visible if there's road work and you need to keep your place.

I will ride up next to cars at a few intersections I know well, where I know there is space for me in front, and I can see I have time, as long as cars are standing still. But moving cars, even the ones slowing down, are very dangerous. The drivers are paying attention to the traffic or the light directly in front of them, and have no idea of what's going on right next to them. A car slowing down will sometimes veer to the right for some reason, like to get a glance ahead, and if you're there you suddenly have nowhere to go.

[lovelygamer]

I would take my place in line, although eating exhaust is no fun. Any tucking to the side at intersections makes you hard to see and easy to be taken advantage of. Intersections are always the worst part of my rides.

[Becky]

From your description, I'd take the lane and stay in line.

[Catrin]

If there's not much room, it sounds like you should just stay in line. That is always an acceptable and legal solution. It can piss off drivers if you move very slowly, like up a hill for instance, so it helps traffic flow if you're alert, prepared to start quickly and move over a little if appropriate. But do stay centred and visible if there's road work and you need to keep your place.

I was back at this intersection last night and just pretended to be a tiny car & took my place in line. I was far more comfortable with this approach, and there is a bike lane that starts on the other side of the intersection. Thanks for all of the good advice on this!

Sadly they had a portion of the bike lane blocked off where they've already torn the shoulder up and I had a small problem with a car who just HAD to speed up and pass me before the the barrier that narrowed the lane, but I saw that coming and didn't allow him to make me nervous. The car after that was far more kind.

[Melalvai]

Now that we live so close to the grocery store, we walk with our little collapsible shopping cart. No sidewalks, of course. At the entrance/ exit of the store parking lot, exiting traffic has a right turn lane and a straight through/ left turn lane, and then there's the entrance (opposite direction traffic) lane. The opposite direction lane is closest to the store, so we used to walk wrong way up it. But after so many cars turning into the parking lot, and no where to walk but in their lane, we've found it is actually easier to walk in the middle (straight through/ left turn) lane, where we are walking in the direction of traffic. Even crossing over to the far lane (right turn) isn't ideal because then we have all this right-turning traffic conflicting with our line of travel.

It's kind of weird to take the lane as a pedestrian.