Traffic situation

[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.

[soprano]

If the traffic is backed up for a stoplight, you shouldn't have any trouble keeping up. Merge and take the lane. Make sure you're far enough left in the lane for oncoming left-turning traffic to see you. If you're keeping up there's no reason for anyone to be unhappy with you. Just don't cut in line.

Sometimes a driver will come up on the left and try to pass or cut you off in this situation. Don't let them freak you out, keep a lid on your temper, and you'll be fine.

[owlice]

If you want to be considered traffic (all the rights and responsibilities of the road), be traffic! Add me to the list of those suggesting you take the lane. Safer for everyone.

[Catrin]

Thanks for all of the good advice. I wasn't very comfortable with my approach yesterday (trying to filter up the right side) but couldn't pin-point why. If I take my place in line then, frankly, I should be able to WALK my bike to keep up until I am free to ride.

I don't generally have any problems taking the lane when I need to, but that light is just odd how it works (for those in Indy, this is the light at 56th and Kessler - WB on 56th). Thanks again!

[malkin]

What everybody said, but still, I sometimes hop off and become a genuine pedestrian.

But I NEVER pretend to be a pedestrian while I am riding.

[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.

[lph]

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

Heh. Which brings me to my personal pet peeve, stores designed around access from cars. We have two grocery stores 4-500 yds away, which should be great for shopping on foot. One of them is easily accessible on foot as it's right outside the subway, but the other one can be quite dangerous to walk to, especially in the dark of winter. That really annoys me! To get there, from our mostly car-free neighbourhood, I have to cross the road on a ped crossing, dodge the cars zipping up from the highway that haven't slowed down yet, and then weave my way carefully across a large car park to get to the front door. Not a pedestrian marking in sight, and of course, no bike parking. I don't know how they get away with it. Surely a minimum of safety for real live people is more important than being able to drive to within 10 feet of the door.

Sorry for the hijack...

[Melalvai]

The entire city of Kirksville is designed around cars. Not having a sidewalk to the grocery store is not worth getting upset about because it's the same everywhere in town. Now that I'm here, Kirksville is changing. (Or maybe we're part of a national trend that is happening in other cities without me!)