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Biking w/traffic quiz

I've had my bike for about a year and in my mind, there are still some inconsistencies in how I observe cyclists riding with traffic. This is not an anti-driver thread, rather, I want to ask you how you bike in certain situations. I want to know what you do and what you think the right thing to do is. And it's okay if those two answers are different.


Scenario 1:


You're on Forbes Ave in squirrel hill heading towards shady ave. You are stopped behind a long row of cars and you are all tre way back by cold stone creamery. There is room on the right side of the cars for you to squeeze through and advance on your own. You say to yourself "if I sit and wait properly with traffic, this is going to take me forever..." do you...

1) wait with traffic properly as if you were a car and follow the traffic

2) take the open space to the right of the cars and filter you way forward at your own pace

3) other


Scenario 2:

You reach the intersection of Forbes and shady and are stopped at a red light. You are ahead of all cars in your lane. The walking signal is activated for people to cross the street in all directions (stopping traffic). Do you ...

1)use this advantageous time and go through the intersection during the walk signals

2) or do you wait for the light to turn green like you are part of traffic


Scenario 3:

You make a right turn on beechwood and proceed down the hill. There is a stop sign coming up and there's not a car around for miles. Stopping at this stop sign will kill your bike momentum but is obviously the right thing to do. Do you...

1) slow down to approach the stop sign cautiously but don't stop in order to save some of your momentum for the hill coming up

2) stop fully

3) after looking around and determining that there's not a soul in sight, ignore the stop sign completely and go for maximum momentum for the upcoming hill


Would be interested to see what you do in these cases. Please answer honestly. Tell us what you would normally do and what you think the right thing to do is.


italianblend
2012-05-23 10:20:07

Scenario 1: Probably filter. If I were continuing straight on Forbes past the light at Shady, I would merge into traffic two or three cars before the intersection, rather than stay right and cut over at the last minute.


Scenario 2: Wait for the light.


Scenario 3: Slow, but don't stop completely.


reddan
2012-05-23 11:34:40

Scenario 1: 1-wait with traffic.

I will filter in some situations, but as you describe it as a long line of traffic, chances are that I would have been taking the full lane since at least Murray ave.


Scenario 2: 1-go through intersection on walk signal.

I have no trouble doing this unless there are lots of pedestrians in the intersection, in which case I will wait for the green


Scenario 3: 1-slow down then roll.

I don’t ever roll a stop sign at full speed, even on slow back streets.


marko82
2012-05-23 11:40:41

...

Scenario 1: Filter if I thought it was safe and the intersection on the other side allowed traffic to get around me.


Scenario 2: Probably go through on the walk.


Scenario 3: Slow then roll (I may or may not have been given a ticket for the same move in my manual transmission equipped car...).


sew
2012-05-23 11:54:28

S.1 or S.2 - am I going straight, right, or left?

S.1 - straight - filter forward, wait for green

- left - take a spot in traffic and wait for my turn.

- right - filter to front, turn when safe

S.2 - left - go with the walk signal just to get the heck out of there

- straight and right same as S.1

S.3 - 1) slow to a roll, prepared to stop and put a foot down, but go if clear.


edmonds59
2012-05-23 12:10:54

S1: Wait in traffic. Or if it is really that darn slow, dismount and walk my bike on the sidewalk.


S2: Wait for the light to turn green. If I'm in the road I'm not a pedestrian.


S3: Slow and roll. And certainly never just blow through it- it's far too easy for a car to come "out of nowhere."


mrdestructicity
2012-05-23 12:46:49

1: Maintain position in traffic or filter only if I can filter all the way and be seen.


2: Wait or if there is time dismount and become a pedestrian pushing a bike through the walk and then remount. I only do this on lights where I know the timing and I know I have time to remount and establish my travel.


3: I stop. If I am a driver who wants cyclists to obey the laws I will be a cyclist who obeys the laws. Pretty simple set of guidelines to follow.


orionz06
2012-05-23 12:53:56

1. Stay with traffic or walk on sidewalk

2. Wait for green light or dismount to use crosswalks.

3. Go through stop sign at full speed.


I also disagree that stopping at a stop sign at a deserted intersection is the "right thing to do". If there's traffic around, it's a good idea to stop, both for safety and for promoting good will toward cyclists, but if there really isn't anyone around and you can clearly see the whole intersection, then there's no reason to stop other than strict obedience of the law (which is quite a different thing from "the right thing to do").


willb
2012-05-23 12:57:41

Scenario 1: Wait with the other traffic, but if it's really backed up, I might dismount and walk on the sidewalk.


Scenario 2: Go through slowly on 4-way walk. (Well, at that intersection, first wait for cars to finish running the red, then go through slowly.)


Scenario 3: Slow way down, look, then proceed.


steven
2012-05-23 13:06:25

Scenario 1. I almost never filter BUT I take this route a lot and that particular section has enough space and is slow enough that I do filter here. go figure.


Scenario 2. I'll almost always go through the 4-way ped signal. I do make sure all the peds are through first.


Scenario 3. I always stop there. Cars can fly around that corner to take the left up the cut-through and you never know. But I basically stop at all stop signs anyway.


So there you are, no wonder you see people doing so many different things at those spots.


sarapgh2
2012-05-23 13:58:51

1. I always wait with traffic there. Not the fastest option at rush hour, but I'm just not a filterer. People can get edgy waiting in traffic there, and I don't want to pass them / merge in front of them and then deal with them potentially having to (re-)pass me after that. Plus I like to stay reallll far away from the parked cars there because doors, oblivious pedestrians, etc. can create nasty surprises.


2. Wait for the light.


3. I don't ride on Beechwood much so I'm trying to picture this, but I'd most likely do something between 1 and 2 to at least avoid putting a foot down but also appear to be doing something "close enough" to stopping. (I'm getting more and more obnoxiously obedient of stop signs since I've been cut off or unsafely passed by cyclists running them on almost a daily basis lately... grr)


2012-05-23 14:05:05

Scenario 1: I filter forward slowly


Scenario 2: I would go through the walk signal if I can do so without cutting off or disrupting pedestrian traffic


Scenario 3: I would slow down


rsprake
2012-05-23 14:06:04

Scenario 1: Think about how the cars around me have been driving. If I haven't seen them being aggressive or incautious, I will filter slowly. Otherwise wait. (9 times out of 10 this means wait.)


Scenario 2: wait for light, unless there is some strong reason not to.


Scenario 3: Most intersections, I would slow down and proceed with caution. *THAT* intersection, I stop. Always. 1) I almost go hit there 2x and 2) there is a dark colored sedan with a very road rage-y driver that lives in that area....


myddrin
2012-05-23 14:31:16

1 - wait with traffic, think happy thoughts about cold stone ice cream.


2 - wait for the light to turn green.


3 - Stop at the stop sign fully.


I am a very conservative rider. When I have a tough call I think about what I would want my daughters to do in that senario....so I am super cautious.


2012-05-23 14:35:47

a. depends on what i'm doing when i get to shady. in most cases, i'll filter if i think i have to wait for more than one light cycle, but where that usually happens, i will get a protected left and i'm turning left, so i don't worry about stopping drivers behind me that i just cut in front of. in general, i try to balance my vehicularistness with my convenience and obviously safety. i'm not sure i'd feel safe filtering there with all the parked cars and pedestrians and what not.


2. again depends on what i'm doing. for some reason i wouldn't go through the walk signal if i was going straight, but otherwise i have no problem just getting out of the way of all the drivers i probably just filtered past. safest thing to do is just not be in the intersection, especially if i'm turning left. as always, respect for the pedestrians comes first, too.


iii. slow and roll. there was a time where i would've blown through without slowing at all, but unless i'm going slow, i don't have time to guarantee there aren't any cars approaching that intersection, especially from the left where they don't have to stop.


the general rule for me is: safety first, then balance convenience with wanting to be treated as a vehicle.


hiddenvariable
2012-05-23 15:38:42

1) Stay in traffic. I hate filtering. People don't use signals and if they can jump out and pass a left turning car on the right, they will without signaling. When I am on group rides and the group starts to filter, I usually say "are we really gonna filter?"


2) if you are going left, make a Pittsburgh left, but only if you are able to get up onto the bike and get a pedal stroke in just before the light turns green. Make sure to signal. I don't like to have angry motorists stuck behind me while I wait to make a left. Probably a little dangerous, and not applicable to all intersections depending upon the traffic situation. I don't ride on the road in question often, and I don't know if people gun it as soon as the light turns green.


3) now that I ride fixed, I slow and come to an almost complete stop, but I can control that with my feet now and it's easier to do kind of a 2 second track stand. As mentioned above, if no one is around, what kind of bad example are you going to set?


This last question brings up another question I have about stopping at a 4way stop when there is traffic. Does anyone feel like motorists get confused if you come to a stop and do a little track stand and you don't put a foot down? I have gotten bad reactions from some people cause I think they believe I am not stopping.


stefb
2012-05-23 17:59:26

I'm have trouble with the way the questions are phrased. Shouldn't it be "would you wait at Cold Stone or filter properly through traffic?"


1) If traffic was that backed up, I would probably properly filter very slowly. If there was some reason I felt filtering was unsafe, and the motor vehicle traffic was backed up enough to make walking timely, I would walk my bike up the sidewalk.


If the traffic was that backed up but moving much faster than a pedstrian (not how it works in that block, but...) than I might refrain from filtering.


Why should I wait in a line 300 yards long with 60 people? It's not my fault they are wearing a ton of metal.


2) If I could do it without worrying the pedestrian traffic, I would ride through. If not, I would hop off my bike and walk it through as a pedestrian.


The only way I would wait is if pedestrian traffic were so thick as to make walking through with a bicycle difficult.


Anyone who would wait should recognize that if they ride through the intersection with moving traffic, they are incresing the risk on their life to do so.


3) I would slow way down, but probably not actually stop. IMO, that is not one of the few intersections that are safe to go through at speed.


mick
2012-05-23 18:21:15

1) filter (while doing my best to be aware of people getting into and out of parked cars and crossing the street. i slow way down when i reach the front of a bus or truck that i cant see through in case theres a pedestrian there)


2) dismount and walk through (while feeling smug about the cagers watching, since they cant complain about a cyclist running a red as im technically following the letter of the law)


3) slow and roll (ill stop if theres traffic around, but i detest turning all of my precious momentum into brake dust)


melange396
2012-05-23 19:07:29

1 - filter if there really is room and understanding that if I get doored doing this it's my own damn fault.


2- yield to peds then go through on the walk sign. I always do this. I think it's safer to clear out of the intersection ahead of traffic if at all possible. But I always give peds the right away and say hi/thanks/etc.


3. Slowly roll. If you mean the intersection at Beacon St oncoming traffic has the right away and people coming in from Dallas have the right turn right away too ahead of that intersection. So what's clear one second could have a speeding BMW with a driver on a cell phone two seconds later -- speaking from experience here.


sarah_q
2012-05-23 19:21:45

I'm not totally familiar with this area, but from the descriptions, it sounds like I would ride this exactly like melange396 does.


In fact, it describes exactly how I get through West End in the mornings - a combination of careful filtering and the ability to magically transform into a pedestrian.


pinky
2012-05-23 19:45:33

I'm not familiar with these areas to give real answers...I was wondering myself, though, what does everyone do if you're in a bike lane that abruptly ends? I was on Liberty heading inbound, and I was wondering what people do there, when the lane ends around Crazy Mocha. I usually try to nudge my way into traffic, but there was a lot of space today, between traffic and parking, to where I could filter (as I usually keep right to merge onto Main st - if I were going to need to poke myself into one of the lanes to stay on liberty, I wouldn't filter)


rubberfactory
2012-05-23 19:46:38

On Liberty I merge into traffic if it's moving, or carefully filter forward until there are two lanes again.


rsprake
2012-05-23 19:51:39

What I would most likely do:


1. Filter, but carefully.


2. Most likely use the opportunity to use the walk signal, being careful to give pedestrians the right-of-way.


3. Probably carefully treat the stop sign as a yield sign, as they do in Idaho


Interesting enough, PennDOT's Bicycle Driver's manual gives some insight into Scenario #1:

GETTING THROUGH TRAFFIC JAMS


Traffic jams don’t have to stop you -- that’s one of the biggest advantages of bicycling in the city. But in the tight quarters of a tie-up, take extra care. Stopped cars in a traffic jam present the same hazards as parked cars: blindspots, doors and unpredictable starts and turns.


If there is an open passing lane, use it rather than thread between cars. If the street is completely plugged, pick your way forward slowly and with your hands on the brake levers. Remember, any car door could open!


If you’re in a traffic jam, you can be fairly sure that the cars will not move, since they have nowhere to go. But if there’s an open driveway or parking space into which a car could turn, you have to assume that it will. Look to see whether the car’s front wheels are turned. Move away from the side of the car as you pass, and try to get the driver’s attention as you approach the front of the car.


When cars are stopped, but not completely bumper to bumper, be very wary of cars from other lanes cutting across in the gaps. Stop and look before you move out into a gap. Be especially careful if the vehicle you’re passing, like many vans, doesn’t have a hood you can see over.


Don’t pass a long truck or bus in a traffic jam unless there’s a full, open lane next to it. If you ride close to the side of such a vehicle it may begin to merge toward you, leaving you no way to escape.


As you approach an intersection, change lanes to the same position as you would in normal traffic. Before you cross in front of a car to change lanes, make eye contact with the driver even if the car is stopped. When you reach an intersection, wait behind the first car at the traffic light. Don’t move up next to that car; drivers don’t always use their turn signals, so you don’t know for sure which way the car will turn when the light turns green.


These traffic-jam tactics are reasonably safe, but in some cities it may not be legal for a bicyclist to pass on the right or ride between lanes of traffic. On the other hand, it’s usually legal for you, or any driver, to cautiously disobey normal traffic rules when the road is “obstructed.”


erok
2012-05-23 19:55:54

@RF, rsprake: i ride that way every morning and "turn" onto main. i do just what you guys do. except i don't nudge my way into traffic, i genuinely push my way in. i also do it very early, while there is still clearly a bike lane, so that if traffic is moving i am centered in the traffic lane on the next block.


hiddenvariable
2012-05-23 19:56:02

Scenario 1: Turn around, head up Murray and turn on the less trafficked Ayelsboro


Scenario 2: See previous


Scenario 3: slow, but don't stop


chemicaldave
2012-05-23 20:28:38

I like this thread - it's interesting to see how everyone handles situations and also read why we all make the decisions we do. Also interesting is the wide variety of approaches.


pinky
2012-05-23 20:45:18

s1: "split" lanes - I think you are safer riding the yellow line than near parked cars.


s2: wait for the light


s3: slow, but not stop.


also (OP) - you should tell us the reason for your query now that you rec'd enough responses. -wp


willie-p
2012-05-23 21:09:48

1. Probably wouldn't filter, but rather, if I saw the traffic, I'd cut over to a side street (like the one behind the library).


2. I'd use the walk light IF I could put serious distance between myself and the traffic behind me. I typically do this at Negley and Centre, because I can easily get another traffic signal ahead of traffic. If going through the walk light doesn't afford me any advantage (and just causes traffic to pass me again), I'll wait.


3. Slow, but not stop.


Stef, when I rode fixed, I found quite a few drivers got confused with my trackstand antics. I also found that if I was very obvious with my intentions (signaling the driver through) the driver got the message.


bjanaszek
2012-05-24 02:13:28

1. I'd take the lane and wait "as a car."


2. Both. I'd wait, but try to "jump the light" to get a head-start (obviously taking care to avoid a "Pittsburgh left" coming from the opposite side of the intersection).


3. I'd slow with caution enough to determine there is no cross-traffic, and then proceed.


This is an interesting thread. I wonder whether the OP or someone will compile a consensus for the responses?


atleastmykidsloveme
2012-05-24 11:58:20

If I get a chance I might compile it myself.


orionz06
2012-05-24 13:00:59

1. What I would do (what I actually do daily): Filter at a slow to moderate pace, head on a swivel, full paranoia mode. I will only rarely filter past buses.

The "right thing": The same, judging from previous posts with info from PennDOT.


2. What I do: Wait until my path is clear of peds, and then ride through, again in paranoia mode.

The "right thing": Wait for the green.


3. What I do really varies. Usually I slow but do not stop fully. Early in the morning on weekend rides I have been known to blow this particular stop. I acknowledge that this may get me killed someday.

The "right thing": Slow but don't stop.


jamesk
2012-05-24 13:34:28

Negley and Centre were both grid locked to high heaven today. I filtered like an outlaw today. Would have been stupid to sit there with all of the traffic at a stand still.


rsprake
2012-05-24 14:03:56

1. I suspect I would filter, but my conscience might bother me enough that I don't.


2. Depends on how well I know the intersection. If I know that moving forward on the 4 way ped signal will be safer for me (due to turning cars, etc), I'll go on that signal. If there is no advantage, or if I don't know the intersection well enough to know, stay put until I get the green as a vehicle.


3. Again, local knowledge is important here. If I know the intersection, I would usually slow, and be prepared to stop fully, but not actually come to a full stop. I would NEVER blow through a stop sign at anything approaching normal speed.


swalfoort
2012-05-24 14:05:36

1. Filter as if I were a bike.

2. Go ahead as if I were a pedestrian.

3. Slow, make sure there is no cross traffic, and go ahead as if I were a car.


jonawebb
2012-05-24 14:53:18

@rsprake: All of Shadyside was a disaster (due to paving, thanks @pghtrails!). I didn't filter much, but made liberal use of parking lots, sidewalks (slowly!), and alleys.


bjanaszek
2012-05-24 14:57:57

1. take Marlborough or Ayelsboro


2. see 1


3. Idaho stop


quizbot
2012-05-24 14:59:45

I second the idea of taking an alternate street instead of Forbes through that section for the first two... Northumberland goes straight the way through from forbes (near Schenley golf course) to Dallas, where you can get onto Beechwood. Few lights, less traffic by far.


Scenario 3, I try never to roll through any stop sign faster (and usually slower) than the slowest real "stop" a driver would do in a car - I don't bring myself to a trackstand (ha!) or put a foot down, but I "stop" (momentum gone, sigh).


I figure stop signs are to help me avoid the cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users that I DON'T see, not the empty spaces I DO see. But I don't see a problem with slowly rolling through. Blowing it completely I think is dangerous no matter how clear you can see the intersection, but some people like to live dangerously.


ejwme
2012-05-24 16:38:10

Haha, you guys are tainting the results by saying you'll take another street.


You've all said what you would do, but few of you have said what is the right thing to do.


I admit, it's easier for me to filter when there's room rather than wait for 3 light cycles to crawl along. I think the more confident I get, the more liberties I take. Not the best thing in the world, but an honest answer.


Here's scenario #4:


You are heading down commercial ave from forward avenue. Think of taking beechwood all the way to the end of frick park and turning down forward/commercial past the Irish center.


This is a very steep hill. Do you take the lane and delay the cars behind you (obviously the safer way), or do you ride on the side allowing cars to pass you. For me, this is one of the times I just take the lane. It's much safer for me and they can deal with the 20 seconds they lose. Besides, it's a steep hill and you are able to maintain a good speed down it.


italianblend
2012-05-24 23:06:00

@italianblend: 'the right thing to do' is highly subjective. are you looking for people to say 'following the letter of the law is the right thing to do'? is it the right thing to disobey an unjust law? if safety is preserved, is it 'wrong' to filter? i personally think its 'wrong' to sit in a line of traffic inhaling fumes when theres a perfectly sufficient shoulder to ride on!


melange396
2012-05-24 23:21:20

I go down forward about 7pm on fridays maybe every other week.


If there are any cars behind me when I get to the stop sign on Mt Royal Rd, I pull over onto Mt R. and let them pass.


Then I do the Police car thing." After the last one passes, I take off after them.


I don't go as fast as the cars, but the gaps are big enough that it's rare for a car to catch up. When one does, I usually pull to the side until they pass.


A car in front of me is my friend. A car behind me is trying to kill me.


I like friends.


Welcome to the neighborhood.


mick
2012-05-25 00:02:24

No, I'm not looking for people to say the law is the right thing. I'm not that naieve. I just want to know what you all think is right. I'm not after any specific answers. Just like the discussion and difference of opinions.


italianblend
2012-05-25 01:31:43

going down commercial I am technically speeding so I take the lane since I am going as fast or faster than cars. fun!


sarah_q
2012-05-25 02:38:49

^+1, and probably passing sarah too :P


marko82
2012-05-25 02:41:39

I don't know where #4 is, but I'm slow so I would probably keep to the side unless by some miracle I was going fast enough.


Regarding the right vs "WWYD" question: I don't like to assume that what I do is "right" - pretty much ever. I can't predict other people's tolerance for risk, fears, experiences, or reading of the situation. So I wouldn't impose my West End filtering or walking through a crosswalk as a ped on anyone else.


Now sometimes there are cases where there's a clear "wrong," but I think there was enough gray area in situations 1-3 that I don't think anyone can be "right."


pinky
2012-05-25 11:47:45

@commercial and forward I do the same as SarahQ. As far as I can tell there is no way to stay to the side (no shoulder) and no way to go slow (brakes screaming). I try to slow my speed as much as I can though or else it's hard to make the turn at the bottom.


tabby
2012-05-25 12:35:37

@pinky: I agree with you. We (should) ride based on our previous experiences and what we've gleaned from them. Personally, I've been doored (with some filtering leading up to it), so I am very wary of filtering in most situations. And I wouldn't recommend that a relatively new-to-riding-in-traffic commuter filter forward on Forbes in heavy traffic.


As for going through walk signals, again, my experience tells me that if I can gain a significant safety advantage for myself in traffic, and do so without hindering folks walking, then I'll do it. But a few weeks ago, I saw someone cruise through Fifth and Craig during the walk signal, hands off the bars, headphones in, and nearly take out two people. I can't say what I do is right, but I'm pretty sure what that rider did is wrong.


bjanaszek
2012-05-25 12:54:40

#1 right thing to do: treat the line of cars as a trials course and hop from car to car. at the end, pull out package of mentos. smiles all around.


erok
2012-05-25 14:08:54

everything i do is what i consider to be the right thing for me to do. otherwise i would do something else.


if the right thing™ is the thing you think everyone should do, i don't have an answer for that. my experiences have shaped me differently from everyone else, and i can't make prescriptions for other people whose skills and awareness and priorities are different from mine.


also: i've never been passed on commercial by a car until after it opens up and flattens at the bottom, so i'm with sarah q.


hiddenvariable
2012-05-25 14:23:46

I'm gonna cheat on this one too and skip Commercial... There's a park, right there, with car-free trails that go everywhere the roads do (and more)...


Commercial gives me the willies in a car. I hate the way other people drive on it, and feel like there's nothing I can do to protect myself in my car from some idiot coming down too fast (I'd almost say that a nimble biker could be safer, but I'm not that optimistic). BUT I have noticed that it's not banked nearly as incorrectly as it was 15 years ago when some of my fellow idiot highschoolers tried to lift off in the curves (driving cars).


ejwme
2012-05-25 14:54:20

+1 HV

Seems like you've been reading Sartre. :)


edmonds59
2012-05-25 15:10:25

I haven't traveled that way in a while but I think I would take the lane, if only because it's hard not to, going around the turns. Waiting for traffic to clear sounds like a good idea, though. Riding a curvy street downhill at high speeds while being followed closely by a car would be pretty terrifying.


jonawebb
2012-05-25 15:43:06

l'enfer, c'est les autos


salty
2012-05-25 15:43:24

that's punilingual.


edited for clarity: :D


ejwme
2012-05-25 18:09:49

"I try to stop at red lights and often feel lame when other cyclists zoom by. But if this system is ever going to be safe enough for kids, stopping for lights and following traffic rules is something we all have to do. I was ticketed twice here in New York for running a red light; I got the second ticket while riding downtown to argue the first one!" - David Byrne


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/this-is-how-we-ride.html?src=me&ref=general&pagewanted=all


asobi
2012-05-28 15:25:10

0) I follow traffic rules (stopping at intersections, etc). That said...


1) If there's room and I don't expect to hit a mirror, I go straight up the right side. Yes, it's "filtering", but I'm simply going up an empty lane, albeit one that's too narrow for cars. As long as you don't wack cars or pedestrians, what's the problem? If anything, you're demonstrating one of the reasons people should switch to biking. In any case, where I grew up the right answer was to go up the yellow line in the middle (on the theory that cars know enough not to cross it); this doesn't actually work that well on Forbes. Sigh.


2) I always wait, until there are no pedestrians in the intersection, then cross slowly. If there's no danger in running into a pedestrian, why not? I realize that this is maybe against the regulations, but what if you're first in line (in the lane, of course). Wouldn't the driver behind you prefer that you get out of the way as soon as you can? Efficiency.


3) Beechwood and Beacon. An interesting intersection. Are you going straight through? You should full-stop, especially since the approaching traffic doesn't always bother to signal their left turn. Besides, it continues down-slope for a bit; what's your problem? If you're turning right, and there's no oncoming traffic, It's allowable to roll through (don't forget to downshift).


(As an addendum to 1) above, I see bike around town with the chopped handlebars made for scooting up between cars. Should these people be reprimanded, assuming they understand what it's about?)


ahlir
2012-05-28 22:01:18

1. Filter. But typically, if I'm going to be arriving near the intersection of Forbes and Shady, it's via a side street, as numerous others have mentioned. Most likely Aylesboro, but also potentially Darlington, depending on where I got fed up with the traffic on Forbes (assuming I'm coming from, say, Schenley).


2. Go through the walk light if/when all peds have made their way through safely or aren't going in the same direction as me.


3. I would never turn right onto Beechwood from Forbes and head down toward Beacon. That whole intersection sucks. If I'm on Forbes heading toward Beechwood, I make a right onto Denniston, left onto Darlington, and stop at the (four way) stop where Darlington hits Beacon. Cross Beacon, continue down to where Darlington meets Beechwood where you can easily merge onto the bike lane (but you should still be paying attention to whether traffic is coming up Beechwood from your left and be prepared to stop; you never know if they're going to want to park right where you're pulling out).


More on Beacon/Beechwood:


If I'm coming up Beechwood from Fifth, I'll take a right onto Aylesboro, left onto Denniston, and follow the route listed above. I find it way easier to cross Forbes at Denniston than to deal with that whole Beechwood/Beacon/and let's not forget Dallas mess.


alucas
2012-05-30 04:14:54