Bus-only lanes… except in heavy traffic?

[SarahScoot]

I’m wondering how others think the bus-only lanes along 35th northbound approaching Avalon, and along Avalon approaching the WS Bridge on-ramp should be used. My understanding is no cars should be in the bus-only portions of those lanes, in order to leave them clear for buses. Thus, if one wants to turn right onto Avalon from northbound 35th, one should get into the turn lane after the RapidRide stop/bus-only area. Same with along Avalon; cars should move over into the right-turn lane after the RapidRide stop across from Luna Park Cafe.

That is what I’ve been doing. Am I wrong? This morning I was angrily gestured at by a man in a BMW X3 who was sitting in the 35th Ave. bus lane. I was trying to get into the turn lane to go down Avalon. I was not determined to move over in front of him (in fact, I was planning to move over behind him), but he was certainly determined to make sure I absolutely did not get over in front of him, and moreover that I knew he was angry at me. I waved and smiled at him in response. For what it’s worth, there was a bus approaching that had to wait in a line of cars to get to the stop… had people been leaving the bus-only portion of the lane clear, the bus would have already been there.

So, how do you think these lanes should be used? Bus only, unless traffic is heavy, in which case, screw the buses? ;-)

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[Smitty]

It’s a good question.

I run into this downtown all the time.

Bus only lanes on the right cue up with busses and cars to where I feel I need to get “in line” -even if that line extends back to the bus lane.

Basically, if there is a line, I get in it regardless of the street markings so as not to stop yet one more lane by putting on my blinker and waiting for someone (who has already waited in line) to let me in.

I would compare it to left turn lanes that fill up (westbound Admiral @ Cali) and you have to get in line in the “middle/shared” lane…..

I can’t imagine getting ticketed for this – or having it hold up in court if you fought it.

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[SarahScoot]

Smitty, I’ve done the same when traffic is moving and I don’t see buses immediately approaching, because I know I’ll clear the lane without impeding a bus. Today, though, traffic was backed up from the high bridge down 35th; since no one was really moving anyway, I knew I wasn’t blocking anyone from continuing straight to get onto the high bridge… but I knew if I got over into that turn lane, I’d be one more car blocking that bus from getting to the stop.

I can see both sides. I think the only thing that is clear is that not enough thought went into how traffic actually flows when those portions of the lanes were made bus-only. I wholeheartedly support bus-only lanes, but in practice they don’t work so well if they’re not dedicated lanes, like on the bridge.

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[KBear]

There needs to be more police enforcement of the bus lanes on Avalon, Delridge, and 99. I see cheaters in those locations every day. The only place I’ve ever seen enforcement is on the West Seattle Bridge.

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[SarahScoot]

KBear, that would be nice… or at least some kind of signage that clarifies how the lanes should work. I genuinely think I’m doing it right, and a few others are, too, but most people just line up in the bus lane, and then are peeved when people like me “cut” in their line. The way I see it is there’s no point in having a bus lane if it’s just going to fill with cars during heavy traffic… right?

I’m still annoyed at the X3 driver from this morning, if you can’t tell. ;-)

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[amalia]

Sarah, don’t you realize that BMW drivers are privileged and not confined by the regulations that you lesser people are ;)? You’re right, and I thank you for being considerate and having common sense. You get over AFTER the bus stop so as not to hold up the 80 people on the bus.

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[anonymous123]

I wonder if the car the that gave you the gestures this morning was the same car behind me waiting to turn onto 4th ave that was suuuuper angry that I wasn’t taking an illegal free right turn (which everyone seems to do there) while there was someone crossing the street. I pointed to the crosswalk and he still was getting riled up. Not sure what he wanted me to do cause’ I didn’t really feel like hitting a pedestrian. /shrugs

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[elikapeka]

I argue with myself all the time over these. I tend to agree with Smitty about feeling like I need to get in line. Otherwise, you may end up blocking the traffic trying to go through while you wait to get into the turn lane. But if you do that, then you may block a bus – or you may block yourself when the bus is stopped in front of you, but you can’t see around it to know if you’d be able to clear it or not. Traffic planning here is just not done well.

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[maplesyrup]

Sarah I think you are correct, and the paint on the street indicates that it’s for buses until after the stop. If a bus is at the stop I go around it unless it looks like it’s about to pull out.

However if there aren’t any buses around I get in that lane sooner mostly because I feel like if I don’t, someone is going to jump in, speed up on the right and cut me off.

It also makes sense not to block the middle lane if I don’t have to, provided I’m not impeding a bus. And if like you said, the bus couldn’t get to that lane anyway because traffic was backed up, I can see why cars would get into that lane.

So imo technically, you’re correct, but the design of that lane can make it difficult to understand how to proceed, and common sense sometimes defies the rules at that stop.

No need for BMW to be a jerk though.

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[wsn00b]

What? He only gestured angrily? No honking, flipping ,revving the engine, driving around you? He clearly did not do it right. We’ll bring it up at the monthly BMW drivers meeting and reprimand him for not following the established protocol.

Audi drivers are already threatening the signature BMW driver behavior and this can’t be allowed.

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[sam-c]

wsn00b: it looks like your protocol meeting went well. He is definitely well versed in gesturing now, and has even learned stupid moves like slamming on your breaks to try and get someone to rear-end you.

I encountered (what seems to be) this same driver this morning. He’s an obnoxious driver even if there isn’t traffic. Heading up 35th, not a lot of traffic, I signaled and started to get over to turn right on Avalon once the bus only line demarcation line was broken up into a dashed line.

He came flying up behind me on the right, blaring his horn. I guess he’d gotten in the bus lane at its beginning, to speed up to the light at Avalon. It’s not just in traffic that he uses the bus lane to speed ahead.

That guy an aggressive driver.

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