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a traffic dilemma



 
 
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  #11  
Old June 4th 06, 03:33 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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

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  #12  
Old June 4th 06, 04:04 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default a traffic dilemma

recycled-one wrote:
Finally got to see your nice illustration!

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?


Stay blue. KFC is a fairly narrow frontage, and for all the overtaking
motorist knows, you could be turning there (although it seems very
close to the intersection). Lane position should tell them everything
they need to know, and if they don't get it, stick an arm out.

(I sometimes offer an abbreviated signal of a finger point; it's just
for those who need to see it.)

Now, if you were going from the distance of KFC + library times 2 or
more, it might be worth turning into the curb lave space, then moving
over. Depends on the amount of traffic and how crazy things are at the
intersection.

HTH

--Karen D.
from the land of the "Michigan left"

  #13  
Old June 4th 06, 04:21 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default a traffic dilemma


"Veloise" wrote in message
ups.com...
recycled-one wrote:
Finally got to see your nice illustration!

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?


Stay blue. KFC is a fairly narrow frontage, and for all the overtaking
motorist knows, you could be turning there (although it seems very
close to the intersection). Lane position should tell them everything
they need to know, and if they don't get it, stick an arm out.


Actually I've compressed it a bit. The KFC frontage is unusually large and
the library is really the third plaza entrance with a narrow frontage low
rise office entrance between the KFC and library plaza - if that makes any
sense. I'd estimate 250 meters tops from the intersection to the library.

Gonna have to edit the map.

(I sometimes offer an abbreviated signal of a finger point; it's just
for those who need to see it.)

Now, if you were going from the distance of KFC + library times 2 or
more, it might be worth turning into the curb lave space, then moving
over. Depends on the amount of traffic and how crazy things are at the
intersection.


I'm thinking I'll stay in the center. Though when not making another quick
left I will still make my turn into the curb lane in one movement.



  #14  
Old June 4th 06, 04:54 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default a traffic dilemma


wrote in message
oups.com...

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.


I estimate 200 meters.from the intersection to the turn.


Nice diagram by the way.


Thanks. I liked to doodle maps before computers. Now I do it with paint. Of
course the beauty of computers is modifying. Its' an iterative process. So
in the name of accuracy though still not to scale here is the up-up-updated
diagram.

http://www.geocities.com/siklelogical/stone.scott.bmp

Though we are still outside the higher definition area if you Google Map to
Stone Rd. West and Scottsdale Drive Guelph Ontario, that is the intersection
in question.





  #16  
Old June 4th 06, 04:34 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default a traffic dilemma

If you haven't been run over yet, doing what you're doing, I'd say just
keep doing what you're doing.

Its very difficult for someone to explain, _to you_, how you should do
something, because they are _not you_ and, whatever you are doing, you
need to be comfortable with it.

Lewis.

****


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?

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?


  #18  
Old June 4th 06, 05:59 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default a traffic dilemma


wrote in message
ups.com...
If you haven't been run over yet, doing what you're doing, I'd say just
keep doing what you're doing.

Its very difficult for someone to explain, _to you_, how you should do
something, because they are _not you_ and, whatever you are doing, you
need to be comfortable with it.


I'd hoped to stimulate discussion that wasn't part of crossposted
trollery.. If you aren't interested in participating in this particular
topic, that's fine. Though to advise that I should do what I think is best
and disregard anyone else's advice is....... paradoxical to say the least.



  #19  
Old June 4th 06, 09:18 PM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default a traffic dilemma

On Sat, 3 Jun 2006 10:37:06 -0400, "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?

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?


Looking at the map, this is a judgement call situation. The rider
will just have to evaluate the traffic levels on both streets, and
make choices according to what's possible and what's safe. It's
Guelph, not bloody Toronto, so the traffic level isn't likely to be as
murderous as it might be, but only the person in the saddle can see
and respond to what is there at the time.

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  #20  
Old June 5th 06, 04:15 AM posted to rec.bicycles.misc
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Default 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 have something like that situation at the beginning of my afternoon
commute. I turn left shortly after exiting the bike parking area, then left
again between 3 and 4 blocks later onto a sidewalk which shortly after
becomes a bike path. Until recently, the intermediate street (Michigan St.
in Milwaukee) had only modest traffic and I almost always moved immediately
to the right lane and then back when I was ready to turn.

Recently, though because of construction elsewhere, Michigan St. has become
a mad-house, with many more buses and much more auto traffic. More often
than not, I still go to the right lane and operate from there. But on a
minority of occasions, I may a) take the sidewalk to the right to pass
buses; or b) stay in the left lane, which is slow because, inter alia of
autos turning left at an intermediate point (I don't mind taking the lane
for the 1/4 mile or so involved - as noted, I'm more likely to be slowed
than to slow other traffic); or c) take the sidewalk to the left, e.g. when
I don't see a lot of pedestrians there, and/or to avoid a red light at my
first left turn.

So it definitely depends on the situation.


 




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