West Seattle Blog...

WSB Forum » Open Discussion

1. Bostonman
   Member Profile

   Out of curiousity I am asking this question. Two times in the last 3 days I have witnessed something that I was alarmed at and I am just not sure of what the law is on this.

   Two times I was coming up on an intersection, bike lane on the right (not the same lane, a clearly marked bike lane) and a left turn lane on my left. In both instances the bikers were no more than 5 maybe 10 feet in front of me. The bikers would throw their arms our indicating left turn and without any other warning they would just cut accross the lanes into the left turn lane. The lights were green so we weren't slowing down.

   Now, in one instance he was so close to me I almost ran the guy over and the guy behind me almost ran into me I had to stop so abruptly. In the other instance it was the same situation but at least it was about 10 feet in front of me.

   So what is the law on this? Are they legally allowed to just cut accross lanes like that? If I put a left turn signal on and just make a left and hit a car I am at fault. Is it the same for bikers? In both instances I was so angry I had to restrain myself from catching up to them and taking out some aggression on them.

   Posted 7 months ago #         

2. JanS
   Member Profile

   

   Bicyclist, the way I understand it, are supposed to follow the same rules as cars. If there is a left turn lane, he should have been in it if he was making a left turn.. That's common sense, for goodness sake. What he did was stoopid ! If a car is on your right side, and they abruptly make a left turn in front of you, equally stoopid and wrong.

   Posted 7 months ago #         

3. Andy
   Member Profile

   It gets tough, because bike lanes are always all the way over on the right, and sometimes, hey, we have to go left. Of course, everyone on the road is responsible for being careful, even people with really, really bright left arms. They need to be looking back to make sure that there's room for them to make that move to the left. Whatever the law may say is kind of irrelevant (not completely, but you get my drift) because you ultimately need to do what you do with common sense and a thought or two for your fellow travelers.

   In situations where it is possible, I like to ride that bike lane all the way up to the intersection, then wait at the corner like a pedestrian for the walk signal. Takes like an extra whole minute - or even two sometimes - but it keeps me from cutting across two lanes of traffic. And my dog isn't mad if I get home at 4:43 instead of 4:41.

   Posted 7 months ago #         

4. Al
   Member Profile

   Sometimes making a left turn from the right lane on a bicycle is incredibly difficult and dangerous on a bike. I have to make a left turn off of Fauntleroy on my way home during rush hour, from the right side of the lane. Oftentimes, especially if traffic is fast and aggressive (it varies day to day), I need both hands on my bars to maintain a straight line and cannot signal until the last second and I try my best not to cut in front of cars...sometimes I actually have to pull over and wait for a break in traffic or hit the pedestrian signal. This is with Sharrows though rather than a bike lane, and I am in the same lane as traffic, and thus, traffic should yield to a left turning vehicle.

   Bike lanes are more tricky as they should be treated as a travel lane and moving from one travel lane to another requires yielding to overtaking traffic. But there's no real lawful guidance about how exactly it works (which contributes to the confusion I am sure). And if moving into the left lane from the right lane, again, the moving/turning vehicle should yield. On a bike this is a much trickier movement - especially in dense, fast traffic with drivers that already don't want a bike in front of them. Your comment about wanting to get all aggressive to the cyclists pretty much sums it up. Where are you encountering this behavior? Does the bike lane just sort of "end" and cyclists are immediately merging into the street?

   Cyclists to use hand signals unless it's too dangerous to let go of the bars:
   SMC 11.44.140 Hand signals.
   A. All required hand signals shall be given in the following manner:
   1. Left turn: left hand and arm extended horizontally beyond the side of the bicycle...Such hand signal shall be given continuously during the last one hundred feet (100') traveled by the bicycle before initiation of a turn, UNLESS during the last one hundred feet (100') both hands are needed to control or operate the bicycle.

   Note the above applies to drivers as well:
   SMC 11.55.240 Turn signal -- Distance in advance.
   A signal of intention to turn or move right or left when required SHALL be given continuously during NOT LESS than the last one hundred (100) feet traveled by the vehicle before turning or moving right or left. (RCW 46.61.305(2))

   Drivers to yield to vehicle in front of them:
   SMC 11.53.205 Overtaking a pedestrian or bicycle.
   The operator of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian or bicycle that is on the roadway or on the right-hand shoulder or bicycle lane of the roadway shall pass to the left at a safe distance to clearly avoid coming into contact with the pedestrian or bicyclist and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken pedestrian or bicyclist. (RCW 46.61.110(2))

   SMC 11.53.100 Operate in single lane.
   Every vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from such lane until the driver has first ascertained that such movement can be made with safety. (RCW 46.61.140(1))

   This is a major contributor to tricky lane changes...drivers driving too close to one another:
   SMC 11.53.120 Interval between vehicles.
   The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle or bicycle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles or bicycles and the traffic upon and the condition of the street or alley. (RCW 46.61.145(1))

   So if a cyclist has signaled, and moved into the left lane (or is in the only lane or turn lane signalling left) and is still signalling a left turn off of the roadway, traffic behind the cyclist must yield and not pass on left otherwise drivers are interfering with the operation of "overtaken traffic"
   SMC 11.53.210 Limitations on overtaking on the left.
   No person shall drive a vehicle to the left side of the center of the roadway in overtaking and passing other traffic proceeding in the same direction...and unless such left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit such overtaking and passing to be completely made WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION of any traffic approaching from the opposite direction OR ANY TRAFFIC OVERTAKEN.

   Posted 7 months ago #         

5. Bostonman
   Member Profile

   This was around greenlake. I up there doing some things. The bike lane didn't end but because they waited until the last second to get over then basically just cut across traffic to not miss the turn. Oh well, at least no one got hurt. It clearly looks like it was wrong only in the sense that they didn't signal early enough.

   My agression was contained I would like to note. However the beating I was prepared to give would have been better than the damage done by driving over this person.

   Posted 7 months ago #         

6. amalia
   Member Profile

   Jeez, I hate when drivers and cyclists do something unexpected too, but let's all just realize that if we want to drive around in our cars, we have to get our zen on. All the anger makes our roads dangerous for everyone and probably shortens our life.
   .
   Maybe they didn't realize the lane was ending - it's just stupid design that dumps bike lanes into the general traffic lane. (Ever seen a sign indicating that a bike lane is about to end? Me neither.)

   Posted 7 months ago #         

7. datamuse
   Member Profile

   

   It's a good question, and I've wondered it myself since I'm riding a lot more than I used to. Thanks, Al, for looking up the relevant statutes.

   I wouldn't cut in front of a car like that regardless, though, and it doesn't matter that my bike, as a friend put it, "blinks like a tweaker in a smoky room". If traffic behind and ahead is clear I'll cut over, but otherwise I either do what Andy does, or get over to the left well in advance, with any traffic behind me far enough back that the driver can see what I'm doing and see my signal. (Assuming that it's safe; there's a left turn from a downhill near Westwood where I literally cannot signal without losing control of the bike. That's one case where I'll go to the crosswalk and wait for traffic to clear.)

   Posted 7 months ago #         

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.