BikePGH Message Board Archive

bike lane on Saline St

Apologies if this question has already been asked and answered. I'm a Hazelwood resident who's pretty new to biking. I've been using the Saline St protected bike lanes in Greenfield to get to and from the Boundary St trail and points north. My question is about lawful and safe procedure for going from Irvine St (Second Ave) to Saline St. https://goo.gl/maps/ubfXY5zSwrm How do I do it? The bidirectional bike lanes are on my left as I travel from Hazelwood in Irvine St. Should I get into the left-turn-only lane and just get into the bike lane instead of going under the train overpass? What I've been doing is using the straight lane and skipping the bike lane. The problem with that, though, is crossing lanes to get to the trail at Four Mile Run Park. Anyone else think that those protected lanes are hard to use, or is it just because I'm a n00b?

funkydung

2015-11-05 11:04:33

You are not obligated to use a bike lane if present. Here is how I would do it. First, cross the intersection, entering Saline Street. Take the lane. Proceed at speed. Signal a left. Once you are past any cars waiting at the light, and when moving traffic is clear, execute the left and weave into the bike lane. (Assumed you will also check both directions on the bike lane for any traffic there.) The only complication to this would be if you are followed by a car. It shouldn't matter, though I might be a bit more assertive about taking the lane and signaling the left.

stuinmccandless

2015-11-05 11:36:18

Thanks! That answers the most important aspect of my question quite well. :) I'm still uncertain of how cyclists are expected to use both directions in general, though. Is it expected that the direction I'm talking about is to be used by folks making a left from under the overpass?

funkydung

2015-11-05 11:40:29

If I understand your question correctly, based on my knowledge of that intersection, personally, at a stop I would position myself at the location I placed the red arrow on the image below. Likely rather little traffic goes straight from that direction, as evidenced by the tire wear lines. If you stay strictly in the "straight" going lane, you are likely to be menaced by drivers wanting to make the right, or worse, they'll try and squeeze by on your left and hook you. The location I show provides the best visibility and assertion of the lane. Cross the intersection while keeping your lane, then ease into the separated lane.

edmonds59

2015-11-05 12:38:09

"I would position myself at the location I placed the red arrow"

So you would ignore the "Stop here on red" sign (where the thick white line is in the image)?

funkydung

2015-11-05 12:45:06

I'll make this a broadly applicable statement, and try not to get too preachy - I will observe those if I believe they put me in the best position for my own safety, or at least don't place me in a less safe position. In this case I don't think it is. The obtuse angle of Irvine and Greenfield, along with the wide sweep of the curb on the right, potentially allows a lot of latitude for drivers to get "creative" with passing. I'm sure the traffic engineers who designed this intersection did so with the parameters that are standard for motor vehicles. My base position is that I will operate on the roads in a way that in my best judgement keeps me the safest, within a system whose standards don't best take bicyclist safety into account.

edmonds59

2015-11-05 13:07:33