[SDCBC] Del Mar Blvd/Jimmy Durante Merge.

[John Eldon]

Well put, Trevor.

-----Original Message-----
From: sdcbc-bounces at bikesandiego.org
[mailto:sdcbc-bounces at bikesandiego.org]On Behalf Of trevorspoke at cox.net
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 3:17 PM
To: Serge Issakov; trevorspoke at cox.net
Cc: Sdcbc
Subject: Re: [SDCBC] Del Mar Blvd/Jimmy Durante Merge.


Sorry, seems the memory's dropped a few bits since I last rode the route. I
checked it out on Google Street View to refresh my uncertain recollections.

The right lane doesn't end, only the bike lane does. This is called a union,
not a merge. Except in this case the bike lane just disappears and the right
lane takes its place. This is a traffic engineering debacle, it's like
intentionally trying to get a bike run over by a car.

Proper signage for the existing situation:
1. On the left: "Bike lane ends, merge left" before the union, which will
tell cyclists what they should do.
2. On the right: "Watch for merging traffic" before the union, which will
protect against what many will try to do anyway
On both signs, the yellow warning sign of the union.
Note that to perform a merge you are required by CA law to signal intent for
100ft before performing a lane change. This is impossible to perform at the
location of the union.

Proper traffic engineering total solution:
Extend the union point by at least 100ft by providing a bike lane between
the two lanes. This would likely squeeze the space provided for the bike
lane to the right, so cyclists riding up Jimmy Durante ramp southbound would
have to share the lane.

Creative "bicycle-friendly" suggestion: traffic sensor in the bike lane
triggers a stop light for the right lane, because you can easily see by
geometric extension of the bike lane the right lane was stolen from its
right of way.

Likely actual solution: a pedestrian crosswalk painted for timid cyclists by
ignorant engineers, with a friendly "walk your bike" sign and maybe even a
pushbutton. Fortunately it wouldn't be legal to force users of the bike lane
to use the crosswalk, so cyclists can still do the proper thing by merging
left.

-- Trevor