[SDCBC] What were they thinking?

[trevorspoke at cox.net]

The two major traffic engineering mistakes illustrated by Tom's photos are the short transition of motor traffic from the right turn lane into a sharply angled right turn pocket, and the fact that this transition occurs just over the rise of a hill that obscures vision. There is no way that the motorist can signal and merge with bicycle traffic in the short distance before the solid stripe of the bike lane again appears. There is no way that a motorist approaching the crest of the hill can see bicycle traffic, and there is no signage before the hill advertisting the upcoming lane transitions that will occur. Both bicyclists and motorists must be notified before the crest of the hill that lane changes will occur ahead, and turn pockets should be designed with curves that match or suggest the actual path a vehicle should be steered to make a safe change. At the speeds involved here, a car steered to follow the curb would overturn or exit the roadway.

As a bicyclist, I always find lane transitions easier on a downhill, so the engineering change I would recommend is to move the beginning of the pocket farther down the hill. If that is resisted, I would recommend putting the lane transition back before the hill.

As for the "two right lanes must turn right", I highly doubt this is an error. Instead I suspect a sneak attack in the near future where the sidewalk will be ripped up and moved over so that the bike lane will be between 2 through and 2 right turn lanes. Luckily, in my opinion this wouldn't change the required solution, only make it the more imperative that the problem be corrected.

The new+old patchwork asphalt affects motorist perceptions of lane structure, and Caltrans should be requested if they are not already planning, to do a slurry so that the street is uniformly black with clean white stripes. Also, I would prefer much longer dashed bike lanes, at least 100 feet as required for merge; preferably 200 feet as permitted by the vehicle code. Motorists for some reason fear driving over solid bike lane paint with an irrationality bordering on phobia; it's only bicyclists they "don't see" that they casually tiremark.

I think the only proper solution for construction signs on the right side of the road (as opposed to a center island) is in-lane markings or downlighting. The advantage is it could be used for each lane, and be specific to each lane.

-- Trevor

---- Tom Lettington <tlettington at san.rr.com> wrote: 
> http://www.tfl.net/MyPhotoAlbums/CaminoDelNorteApproachingI15FromEast/ 
> is a sequence of 10 photos taken as I approached Interstate 15 on 
> Camino Del Norte westbound.  This is within the City Limits of San 
> Diego in an area where the I15 Northbound on-ramp approach has been 
> under construction for well over a year, perhaps longer.  This area 
> was recently completed with new striping and new signs and then 
> opened for traffic. The right turn only lane for entering the freeway 
> on-ramp is quite long with a very early traditional transition of the 
> Bike Lane from curb-side to adjacent (to the left) of the single 
> right turn lane.  Three signs to the right of the sidewalk 
> erroneously show two right-turn-only lanes to the right of the bike lane.
> 
> I suppose it is possible that the lane alignment will change to be 
> consistent with the signage after the present construction on the 
> eastbound side of Camino Del Norte is completed, but I seriously doubt it.
> 
> Note the large SDG&E truck is the last photo of the sequence using 
> the bike lane to get a head start on a wide right turn.
> 
> I ask again: What were they thinking?  It was thoughtful of them to 
> place the "Road Construction Ahead" signs in the bike lane - but then 
> they almost always do that.  I have submitted a "Service Request" to 
> the City of San Diego Street Division.
> 
>      - Tom
> 
> Note:  Click on the thumbnail photo to get the larger view and access 
> to controls for browsing and/or a slide show.
> 
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