Which lane to take & when??

[mmace]

Hi guys, I know it's a bit late, but from tomorrow morning I will be cycling to work into Leeds city centre. There's a bit of road that does to a dual carriage way with 2 lanes each side and I need to get to turn right part way along, I need suggestions as to when to cut across the traffic and once in the right lane do I stay to the left or right of the cars considering that cars also pull in to the right turn from the left hand lane even though they aren't meant to (people in the right lane could go straight on if they want)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...=53.798845,-1.56287&spn=0.004886,0.01163&z=17

I will be going along west street (left to right on the map), turning off (right) where it says Ibis hotel on the A58 towards wellington street where I will be working at the Yorkshire evening Post

You can see what I mean about the turning if you turn to satellite view and zoom in here:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...8433,-1.560405&spn=0.001228,0.002908&t=k&z=19

I will be turning right (down) and cars & buses from both lanes do it even though they shouldn't

 

[jimboalee]

When traffic gets really bad and the cyclist gets nervous about it, pelican crossings come to the rescue.

 

[clarion]

Very badly designed piece of road from our PoV. I'm not sure I have the answer, even though I commuted in North Leeds for years.

Good luck with your new job, btw

 

[Origamist]

@Jim - they should be called Pelicon crossings, but everyone calls them Pelican crossings. What is wrong with the world?

@mmace - I'm struggling to make sense of your route and even if I could, I'm not sure I would want to proffer advice without knowing the traffic conditions when you commute and your speed on the bike.

 

[jimboalee]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070108

Take a look for yourself.

I'm for the bird now...


I don't use Pelican crossings. When I do, I recieve a large bill. When I ride across them, I'm up before the beak.

 

[SquareDaff]

Not cycled this bit of road - but from my experiences of driving it (altho don't trust these - they've been coming under a bit of a battering from people who don't even live in Leeds recently - another topic ) I'd be looking to get into the right hand lane from Maxi's onwards and then taking up central position in the lane. Having said that, this is a busy (and fast) road. Whereabouts in Leeds are you working? Is there not an alternative you could take (i.e. Burley Road)?

 

[marinyork]

I know the road. Turn off early, go through the car park and use the ped crossings.

 

[Origamist]

http://www.direct.go...ycode/DG_070108

Take a look for yourself.

I'm for the bird now...


I don't use Pelican crossings. When I do, I recieve a large bill. When I ride across them, I'm up before the beak.

Yep, Pelican is now the common/preferred usage as it fits in better with the animal theme. It never used to be: Pelicon = pedestrian light controlled crossing.

 

[SquareDaff]

Can you not do a "dry run" later tonight once the traffics died down a bit?

 

[jimboalee]

Can you not do a "dry run" later tonight once the traffics died down a bit?

That's like driving an F1 car round an empty circuit. No one trying to overtake, no one to overtake.

 

[SquareDaff]

That's like driving an F1 car round an empty circuit. No one trying to overtake, no one to overtake.

But it does give you the chance the find all those little safety zones, potential bottlenecks, drains, raised manhole covers, potholes etc... that multimap won't show you. One less thing to worry about then when traffic is your main concern!

Even an F1 driver walks the track to work out braking points, corner apexes etc..... before the race.

 

[jimboalee]

OP's road system looks similar to Coventry's inner ringroad.

"Clear, visible signals".

 

[Bokonon]

Get into the right hand lane early - by the pedestrian crossing if not earlier. You may feel like you are in that lane for a long time and exposed to traffic, but if you leave it too late then you won't get across.

Get into primary position (centre of the lane) in the left hand lane well in advance of the manoeuvre. Keep looking back. As soon as a suitable gap appears (no traffic behind in either lane,) signal right and move across to primary in the right hand lane. Keep signalling right until you make the turn into the junction. Maintain a strong road position to allow an easy bearing right to get to the YEP.

It'll take some practice to get used to the turn and getting your timing right, but I don't think it is too bad a junction once you are used to doing it. Of course, you may always be lucky and find that traffic is always grid-locked there anyway!

 

[mmace]

Cheers guys, I cycled it this morning, luckily the traffic was that slow/stationary I could just move about freely, I think I'll do as one of you said and go down into the car park and jump off and walk the 30 foot to work (saves cycling past to cycle/walk back on myself too)

 

[ajc]

Hi,

Hope your ride in was ok this morning.

Sounds like you know the road well, so sorry if my comments are a bit noddy, just they way I was thinking about it.

I do this route 3 - 4 times a week, when you cycle, you'll see that most of the traffic is on the outside lane and fairly slow moving, as most want to go right. When you cycle in you'll go past a fire station on your left, followed quickly by a filter lane on your left, watch out for SMIDSYs there.
After that you start coming towards the PELICAN crossing, a bit before the pelican, I look, signal and if safe move into the center of the first lane, then I look and move towards the second lane where I tend to ride on the markings for the middle lane while signalling right.

This is where I tend to make a decision depending on the traffic, if it's stopped and is queuing, which it does early in the morning, I tend to ride slowly, just in case a car decides it wants to go straight on, you also have to watch out for cars cutting across from your left (which is why I stay near the markings, so they can see what I'm doing). If its moving, I'll stay just around the middle marking between two cars (if that makes sense), and look at the driver behind so we both are hopefully aware of what I'm trying to do and you can then keep just behind the car in front.

It seems to work and it means I can also keep an eye on the traffic coming across from the right, just after the pelican.

If both lanes are busy, I go through the middle of the two lanes, but keep things at a steady pace, no silly speeds

One other thing, the cycle lane on kirkstall road, most of the time the traffic is queued into Leeds, so just be aware of cars wanting to cross from your right, I've seen a number of guys get hit because a van/bus/car has let a car go across them without checking for cyclists.

Now I've written it, it does look complex but its not that bad, I think the start of Kirkstall Road by Morrisons is worse.

And I've just seen your reply, certainly easier on foot !