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From: bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: left turns
Message-ID: <213@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 8-Jun-85 10:38:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.213
Posted: Sat Jun  8 10:38:17 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Jun-85 08:37:05 EDT
References: <605@intelca.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 34

> 
> 1) most left turns around here have sensors in the street, so they don't
> 	change unless something large and metalic is sitting on them.
> 	(although I have been able to get some of these to change!)
> 
A tough one.  I someties can get them to change by sitting right on
top of the wire, but it's iffy.  The best solution is to talk to the
city traffic engineer and get them to install these sensors as "figure
eight" loops rather than simple loops.  This makes them more sensitive to
objects on top of them and at the same time less sensitive to cars in
the next lane.  See John Forester, *Bicycle Transportation*, pp. 269-274
(MIT Press 1983) for details.

> 2) there are some places where there is a left turn lane and a left/straight
> 	lane, which lane to use?
> 
Use the rightmost lane if there are two designated left turn lanes.  Never
make a left turn from the right turn only lane or the straight-through
only lane.

> In either of these two cases, you usually end up stuck inbetween two lanes
> of whatever, a situation where I personally don't feel too comfortable...

Always take the *middle* of the lane at an intersection. Don't allow
yourself to be sandwiched between two cars (or between a car and the curb).

-- 
"Men never do evil so cheerfully and so completely as when they do so from
	religious conviction."  -- Blaise Pascal

	Bill Jefferys  8-%
	Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712   (USnail)
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