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#1
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a traffic dilemma
Assume you are making a left turn from a middle, left-only, lane onto
another multi-lane street. How soon do you transit to the curb lane after the turn? Right away as part of the turn? Or as a separate movement from the center lane to the curb? Now assume not far after the left you will be making another left as diagrammed by the purple arrows: http://www.geocities.com/siklelogical/stone.scott.bmp Do you stay in the center lane? [blue arrows] Or transit to the curb lane [red arrows] and then back to the center lane for the second left turn? If it depends on how far the second left is, then how far is that? |
#2
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a traffic dilemma
"recycled-one" wrote in message
... Assume you are making a left turn from a middle, left-only, lane onto another multi-lane street. How soon do you transit to the curb lane after the turn? Right away as part of the turn? Or as a separate movement from the center lane to the curb? Now assume not far after the left you will be making another left as diagrammed by the purple arrows: http://www.geocities.com/siklelogical/stone.scott.bmp Do you stay in the center lane? [blue arrows] Or transit to the curb lane [red arrows] and then back to the center lane for the second left turn? If it depends on how far the second left is, then how far is that? I think it would depend on the time of day and how much traffic you had to contend with. If the traffic is heavy, I would simply turn left onto the sidewalk ride against the traffic flow and not even bother getting onto the road for that short of a distance. I would have likely already be on the sidewalk on that side of the street before the first left turn and probably cut through the alleys or parking lots if possible and not even bother getting onto the roads or sidewalks in that section. If it is early, little traffic, then after the first left turn, stay in the left lane and make the second turn just as though you were in a car. Going all over the road like that makes you unpredicable and at higher risk of getting hit. Taking the lane and staying in it would be the proper course in my opinion. You are only going a block or two there. Changing lanes like that means you have to look for traffic, change lanes when it is safe, several times making it more dangerous. |
#3
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a traffic dilemma
Earl wrote:
I think it would depend on the time of day and how much traffic you had to contend with. So far, so good. If the traffic is heavy, I would simply turn left onto the sidewalk ... I would have likely already be on the sidewalk on that side of the street before the first left turn and probably cut through the alleys or parking lots if possible and not even bother getting onto the roads or sidewalks in that section. Presumably OP is inquiring about vehicular cycling practices and techniques, and if s/he wanted to avoid any contact with motorized traffic, already knows how to ride like a kid. If it is early, little traffic, then after the first left turn, stay in the left lane and make the second turn just as though you were in a car. That would be my advice (typed the Effective Cycling instructor certified in 1980). Going all over the road like that makes you unpredicable and at higher risk of getting hit. Uh, no, not if done correctly and the trajectory excludes sidewalks and cut-throughs (why not pop a wheelie while you're at it?). Taking the lane and staying in it would be the proper course in my opinion. You are only going a block or two there. Changing lanes like that means you have to look for traffic, change lanes when it is safe, several times making it more dangerous. Much depends on the circs. Doing this every day as part of a commute? Your fellow road users are likely to recognize you and your route by the end of the first week. What are the traffic patterns like on the pertinent streets? (Your diagram must be really nice, 'cuz there's too much traffic there to let me see it!) HTH --Karen D. |
#4
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a traffic dilemma
"Veloise" wrote in message ups.com... Much depends on the circs. Doing this every day as part of a commute? Your fellow road users are likely to recognize you and your route by the end of the first week. What are the traffic patterns like on the pertinent streets? Not my commute but how I go to the library. I do have another choice. I could transit through Stone Rd Mall using the roadway behind the mall itself, which isn't too busy to enter the intersection from the north on Scottsdale thus not requiring the first left. (Your diagram must be really nice, 'cuz there's too much traffic there to let me see it!) Actually I noticed I had the opposite turn lanes screwed up and did a quick edit. That and being a freebie website it's performance isn't great. |
#5
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a traffic dilemma
"Veloise" wrote in message
ups.com... Earl wrote: I think it would depend on the time of day and how much traffic you had to contend with. So far, so good. If the traffic is heavy, I would simply turn left onto the sidewalk ... I would have likely already be on the sidewalk on that side of the street before the first left turn and probably cut through the alleys or parking lots if possible and not even bother getting onto the roads or sidewalks in that section. Presumably OP is inquiring about vehicular cycling practices and techniques, and if s/he wanted to avoid any contact with motorized traffic, already knows how to ride like a kid. If it is early, little traffic, then after the first left turn, stay in the left lane and make the second turn just as though you were in a car. That would be my advice (typed the Effective Cycling instructor certified in 1980). Going all over the road like that makes you unpredicable and at higher risk of getting hit. Uh, no, not if done correctly and the trajectory excludes sidewalks and cut-throughs (why not pop a wheelie while you're at it?). Taking the lane and staying in it would be the proper course in my opinion. You are only going a block or two there. Changing lanes like that means you have to look for traffic, change lanes when it is safe, several times making it more dangerous. Much depends on the circs. Doing this every day as part of a commute? Your fellow road users are likely to recognize you and your route by the end of the first week. What are the traffic patterns like on the pertinent streets? (Your diagram must be really nice, 'cuz there's too much traffic there to let me see it!) HTH --Karen D. I use everything to my advantage when it is rush hour with traffic jams and such. I consider sidewalks fair game at certain times of the day or night. Alleys, empty fields, parks, parking lots, construction zones, industrial areas, residential areas, apartment complexes, etc. I am not above using sidewalks to advantage. But in some cities it is illegal to ride a biccycle on a sidewalk, so that may not be a option in some areas. There has to be some advantage to using a bicycle besides sitting in traffic jams like all the motorists do. :-) It used to be pretty good when you could ride in between the cars and trucks in a traffic jam, but it seems like in the last few years, the drivers seem to be getting a lot more sloppy and are blocking off the spacing between the lanes. Sometimes it seems like everyone wants to try and see what is going on up ahead, so they move over to the left more. Then you have those curb huggers too. It is a lot harder to do it now. or at least in some of my commuting areas. Of course now that everyone has big SUV's maybe it just seems that way. |
#6
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a traffic dilemma
In article ,
"Earl Bollinger" writes: I use everything to my advantage when it is rush hour with traffic jams and such. I consider sidewalks fair game at certain times of the day or night. Alleys, empty fields, parks, parking lots, construction zones, industrial areas, residential areas, apartment complexes, etc. I am not above using sidewalks to advantage. I'm of the same school of thought. As the baseball dictum says: "Hit 'em where they ain't." But in some cities it is illegal to ride a biccycle on a sidewalk, so that may not be a option in some areas. It's illegal where I live, but that doesn't stop me, and I haven't been hassled for it yet. Of course, I'm talking about fairly desolate inner-city sidewalks, and not downtown ones, teeming with throngs of mid-December Christmas shoppers. There has to be some advantage to using a bicycle besides sitting in traffic jams like all the motorists do. :-) Sure. It's a shame to waste that advantage by trying to turn one's bike into a car just to be servile to drivers (who won't appreciate it anyways.) cheers, Tom -- -- Nothing is safe from me. Above address is just a spam midden. I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca |
#7
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a traffic dilemma
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#8
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a traffic dilemma
recycled-one wrote: Assume you are making a left turn from a middle, left-only, lane onto another multi-lane street. How soon do you transit to the curb lane after the turn? Right away as part of the turn? Or as a separate movement from the center lane to the curb? Theortically as a separate move. I normally would make the turn and then signal another (right ) turn to enter the curb lane. Now assume not far after the left you will be making another left as diagrammed by the purple arrows: http://www.geocities.com/siklelogical/stone.scott.bmp Do you stay in the center lane? [blue arrows] Or transit to the curb lane [red arrows] and then back to the center lane for the second left turn? If it depends on how far the second left is, then how far is that? For anything under about 500m I stay in the left lane. After 500m it becomes a toss-up. The heavier the traffic the more I probably would be inclined to stay in the left lane. There is not need to fight one's way across two lanes of traffic if one does not need to. Nice diagram by the way. John Kane, Kingston ON Canada |
#9
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a traffic dilemma
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#10
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a traffic dilemma
wrote in message oups.com... wrote: http://www.geocities.com/siklelogical/stone.scott.bmp Theoretically as a separate move. I normally would make the turn and then signal another (right ) turn to enter the curb lane. Why a separate move? In the diagram surely there is one lane of traffic turning into Scottsdale so it can freely split into whichever lane it wants as part of the turn unless I am missing something about local traffic law or practice. I'm curious as I was about to post pretty much the exact same response as you except for this point' That's what I do normally: Make my initial turn into the curb lane assuming I'm not making a quick left again. I suppose the 'proper' manner is two movements but I figure it's more expedient for myself and those behind me to get to the curb lane in one movement as there is nothing to right to be an issue... Perhaps a right-on- red coming the other way. But around here if there is a left-turn only lane there is an advanced green that gives the left-turner the right-of-way. Staying in the middle lane for the quick second left... I don't see traffic volume being the deciding factor. If it's heavy I probably don't want to make two lane changes but neither do I want to be in the middle of it given some kar drivers' blindness. OTOH if traffic is light transiting the lanes is a breeze but then so is staying in the center lane. |
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