Close Call!

I made this video after a near disaster at the same intersection (Moon and Academy) on Tuesday. The most common complaint motorists have of bicyclists is that they run red lights. At about 5:55 am (according to my SPOT GPS tracker) on Tuesday I was approximately at this position on the street traveling about 17-18 mph when this traffic light turned green. There was one vehicle making a left turn and I was traveling straight through. As I approached the median I could see that the westbound vehicle on Academy was not slowing from the 50 mph speed limit. I braked hard at the median and the westbound vehicle braked suddenly too. Although I survived the near impact I was in the middle of the six lane (plus a median) intersection against the light. Shaken and with few options I continued through the intersection. The vehicle that braked was in the left lane and they abruptly turned right and followed me for about a quarter mile. No words were exchanged. Just as abruptly the driver did a U-turn and left me to my commute.

The video is intensely boring, but instructive none-the-less. I read accident reports to glean tips to improve the safety of my bicycle riding. In that same vein I returned to this intersection early this morning with my camera to record whether my perception of the extremely short traffic light cycle was accurate. I was not far off. It seems that the green light from Moon to Academy at this time of the day (actually night) is about 7-8 seconds and the yellow is about 3 seconds. I believe Federal DOT regulations call for a minimum 4 second yellow light. However, if you count "0 and, 1 and, 2 and, 3," then that is at best all I see. What is one second among friends?

Well if the speed limit is 50 mph, and at that time of the morning the driver is actually going 60 mph, then that translates to approximately 88 feet per second. I am approximating that is more than the distance across the entire intersection. So, one stinking second makes a lot of difference! If a driver uses Academy at this time of the day regularly, then they have observed that the red light for them is quite short and they may be tempted to ignore it. Alternately, if they are diddling with their radio, coffee, or bagel, then they may not even notice that the light changed.

In any case, it does not really matter, because pedestrians and "bicyclists do not pay gasoline tax and should not be on the road anyway." Even if you run over a blind man with a white cane in this town no ticket will be issued, because he was not in a crosswalk. Unless drugs or alcohol are a factor, then essentially nothing will happen to the driver. Even then it is doubtful whether a citation will be given. Despite this the city has done some good things for pedestrians and bicyclists. Nevertheless, including this situation at Academy and Moon I have had 4 incidents with drivers during my commute this week. That is a extremely high, because it is usually 1 or 2 per month. I bike commute 31 miles per day, so my opportunities for problems is higher than most people.

I have been bicycling for about 50 years. It is a choice and a lifestyle. At the same time based on my extensive cycling experience in many places I have some serious issues with the city traffic engineers. For example, they have intentionally removed crosswalks at bike paths. This means you are J-Walking every time you cross an intersection at a bike/pedestrian path. In some places special lights have been installed to warn (tip off) drivers that there is a bicyclist or pedestrian potentially in the intersection (without a crosswalk). I say "tip off" because some drivers accelerate at you while you are crossing.

The especially dangerous intersections for these antisocial behaviors are at San Mateo and the Hahn Arroyo path and at Eubank and the Bear Canyon path. The most dangerous situations are when a westbound driver is making a left from Ponderosa to southbound San Mateo, and similarly from some strip mall/apartment driveway onto Eubank (same orientation westbound to southbound). They will consistently floorboard it at you. Since drivers do not seem to be able to control this impulse, I believe these turns should be made illegal. There should not be any left turns across a pedestrian/bike path. Furthermore, the speed limit should be reduced to a maximum of 25 mph at these crossings. There may be other places where this is happening, but those are the two places that are familiar to me.

The other very dangerous traffic engineering practice that regularly occurs all over this city is that the yellow lights are not always a full 4 seconds as per the DOT regulations. Combined with a very short green light for the side street traffic, the drivers on the main streets are essentially being conditioned to ignore their red light.

Getting back to the video you may have noticed the cyclist who happened to come along as I was filming. I did not know her, nor did I say anything to her, but she did what may be the most safe thing - she ran the red light when there was no cross traffic. At this particular intersection that is what I may have to do in the future. If a car does not come along, the detectors in the pavement do not recognize a bike. For a short while last summer they did and it was great, but that quickly changed.

Besides safely running non-responsive red lights, from time to time I hear reports of cyclists getting tickets for not touching at least one foot to the pavement at a red light or stop sign. This wise rider did not and I often don't either. At many intersections and crossings to start from a dismounted position is practically signing your own death warrant. It is too slow for the speeds that vehicles are traveling toward you. Even at 30 mph vehicles are traveling 44 feet per second. Where the heck do they drive only 30 mph in this town? Maybe in school zones?

If you dismount, then you are far more likely to be run over when you start up. However, if you stay on the pedals (sitting or standing) then you can quickly change directions and move out of their path. Personally I prefer to be standing on my pedals when I am at or in an intersection for two reasons. First it gives you a much larger profile; not that anyone will admit that they saw some big idiot dressed like a tropical bird on a bike. Second, if you get hit it is easier it launch yourself on to their hood instead of falling under their wheels. Smile, take the ticket, and live to tell about it.

Let me clarify one thing. During the day when the traffic lights are running according to a programed cycle instead of on demand (for vehicles, not for bicycles) I stop and rest one or two feet on the ground at red lights. However, at night it depends on the circumstances. For example, during the winter months my glasses fog up within 10 seconds if I am not moving. How safe is that? I wear big lobster mitts and cannot doff and don my glasses quickly. What is the safest thing to do (besides stay in bed or drive to work)? Enough complaining. It is a beautiful day and I am going for a long ride. Be safe!