St. Louis Bike Lane Puts Cyclists In Dangerous Situation
Broadway is a popular route for cyclists heading South from downtown St. Louis. In the last week I’ve ridden it three times. This last time I stopped to get photos of a dangerous situation that needs to be corrected immediately.
Before I do into the details let me state that bike lanes are controversial in the bike world. Some argue that bike lanes give riders a false sense of security and adds to a view that bikes don’t belong on the road. Others argue that lanes are effective at enticing people to bike on the road. I think both perspectives are true.
OK, on to the specifics of this situation. Broadway, after passing Park Ave, becomes very wide and fast. Just before reaching the point pictured at right the cyclist needs to be taking the right of the two lanes. This requires skill and speed.
Looking back and to the right the rider must negotiate with drivers merging from 7th. The area to the left of this picture is a non-driving area with a bike lane to the far left. Traffic from 7th is a single lane but they are approaching fast, too fast at times.
The cyclist looks to the right and sees a massive amount of pavement, most of which is marked to not be driven in. Just before the trees is a bike lane coming from 7th.
What do you do? Do you make a dash across the lane to the right and head to the bike lane over at the far right of the roadway? Most riders would.
So you are now in the bike lane and you are immediately faced with one of the most common reasons for bike/car accidents — a cyclist being to the right of a right turning car.
Here traffic is turning right on Marion to get to a highway on-ramp. The likelihood of an accident at this point is, in my estimation, increased due to the placement of the bike lane. Without the bike lane a cyclist might chose a more appropriate location such as to the left of a right turn only lane.
A cyclist happened along as I was taking pictures. Rather than being in the middle of the bike lane he rode a bit to the left. This is actually a good thing in this situation because it actually makes him more visible to drivers in the right turn only lane.
But look closer at the picture, just beyond the rider. The cyclist is preparing to make a jog to his left because the roadway narrows considerably past this right turn only lane. Rather than riding a bit to the left to be more visible this cyclist is most likely beginning to move to the left and pick up the bike lane again. This cyclist, like me, had come from Broadway and make a big right to get to the bike lane to the right of the right turn only lane.
One of the primary lessons we teach in the League of American Bicyclist’s “Road 1” course is never to put yourself to the right of a right turning vehicle. This is just asking for an accident. However, I can’t advocate that a cyclist ride outside a bike lane as that might place liability on me for suggesting as much. My only suggestion I can make is to avoid this intersection by taking a different route.
I haven’t the slightest idea how to correct this situation. I just know it needs to be addressed. At the very least we need some signage to let motorists know to watch for cyclists to their right as they are headed to the highway.
A lesser problem is on Broadway just before reaching Park Ave. Here the cyclist is going from having almost too much space on the roadway to two through lanes and a right turn only lane. Extra space exists to the right of the right turn only lane. As a general rule cyclists should be in the right most lane going in their direction. So if you are going straight through this intersection you need to be to the left of the right turn only lane. As an experienced cyclist this is not a problem for me. I pick up my speed and take the right lane going straight through.
But less skilled cyclists, like those that feel more comfortable having bike lanes, will look at this intersection and ride in the area to the right. Like the situation above, this puts them to the right of right turning vehicles. Unlike the complicated intersection above this one has a very easy solution. Move the right turn only lane to the right and use the extra space to get the cyclists in the proper position for going straight through. The only problem with my solution is that having a lane at this point might give the rider the expectation the lane will continue on the other side of Park. Not only would it not continue but the road is narrow enough that it is proper for a cyclist, in my view, to take the right lane.
Bike lanes do not always create a safe haven for cyclists.
– Steve
Putting a bike lane (which carries straight-through traffic) to the right of a right-turn only lane is indeed a dangerous practice.
It is also not suggested by any of the standard guidelines for creating bicycle lanes. (I could possibly look some of those up if you’d like . . . ).
The two possible solutions are
1. Simply make the bike lane end some distance before the right-turn only lane begins.
This sounds like a horrible idea to non-bicyclists but in actual practice it works out well enough–bicyclists must “channelize” at intersectiosn just like other vehicle operators, with left turners moving to the left-turn-lane, right turners to the right-turn lane, and through bicyclists moving to the rightmost through lane. So ending the bike lane before the intersection encourages bicyclists to do the right thing, the safest thing (channelize) rather than remaining stuck to the right of right-turning drivers (which is a VERY dangerous place to be unless you are turning right, too).
2. Put a “bicycle slot” between the rightmost through lane and the right turn lane.
There is plenty of room to put such a bicycle slot on this road and in this situation it might well be a good idea. The advantage of a “bicycle slot” is it helps guide straight-through bicyclists to the right (safest) place for them to be as they approach and ride through the intersection.
Incidentally, note an example of bicycle slots on Clayton Rd:
http://www.ballwin.mo.us/apr99.html
I would also point out that as a substandard facility using a known dangerous design, it is not at all good to leave this in place.
Steve,
I’m glad you’re pointing out some flaws in bike lane and road lane markings in your blog. It underscores the need to think carefully about what you’re doing before making “improvements” which may end up being detrimental to safe on-road bicycling. This is particularly true for the novice who believes that lane stripes invariably make things safer, and are unaware of bicycling proficiency classes like the League of American Bicyclists Road I.
Regards,
Martin.
THANK YOU for bringing this up.
Have you tried approaching this gratuitous bike path from the OTHER side of the street? Oh, don’t get me started…OK, I’m started!
I’m trying to ride Broadway from it’s southernmost start point at the county line and all the way through to north county. Heading South on Broadway from, say, Bates, you have plenty of room until you get to the ramps for Hwy 55 at 3200 Broadway. It’s constricted and scary, but do-able. Then you pedal the historic home section of S. Broadway, the elbow room is OK, but “Share The Road” bike signs are a slap in the face as you pray no one hits you during the weird intersection of Broadway, Jefferson and Chippewa.
Then one approaches the Hwy 55 ramps near the Anheuser-Busch complex, and one must prepare to die. Even in non-rush hours, through a very narrow 4-lanes with no shoulders, cars are whizzing through at top speed and playing dodge ball with all the delivery semi tractor trailers snailing through. Again, no shoulders and no escape hatches for a cyclist; you pray and pedal like hell.
IF you make it through that nightmare upright and with all limbs intact, you are greeted with a BIKE LANE?!
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU?!
And it’s gratuitous because at this point, Broadway opens up again, with plenty of room for everyone. Did they place this lane here to give you a small respite after having risked your life through Anheuser-Truck Death Alley? It’s actually insulting.
I’ve yet to go anywhere near that 7th street curvature crap, since I cut down to Wharf street. Nor have I yet headed South and get caught in what you chronicle. Actually, I’m not brave enough, I’m avoiding it.
We daily face these kinds of problems when biking the urban, but it only becomes an offensive farce when they throw in an ill-conceived and poorly executed bike path. They should have left almost well-enough alone.
. . . that looks dangerous.
For an immediate yet temporary solution, I’d contact Alderwoman Phyllis Young, Traffic Commissioner Steve Runde, and/or City Engineer John Kohler. And more bike lanes are actually in the works for Soulard, so public input by experienced riders is key.
The City had been previously awarded a demonstration project that will better link Soulard with Downtown and the Riverfront. Engineering for this project will finally begin within a year and construction by the following year.
More bike lanes may be added to Broadway (Steve’s noted problem areas are actually on S. 7th), 3rd, 9th, 12th, Lafayette, and Sidney.
What is a little troubling is the conceptual plans for this project denote the intersection at 7th/Park/Broadway as “dangerous and confusing intersection for bicyclists to maneuver” yet fall short of showing any remedy. Nothing is noted at 7th/Marion (the misaligned right-turn lane).
Though more bike lanes, shared lanes and even a Riverfront Trail extension from the existing Laclede Power trailhead all the way south to Sidney/Victor are great aspects of this project, it would be nice for the City to consider addressing some of Steve’s noted flaws on the existing South 7th/Broadway bike lanes in the meantime.
In merges like this, bike lanes actually serve to confuse. Better to just take the lane, share the road, etc. etc. Basically, be predictable. Bike lanes make everybody confused in situations like these.
I also think that bike lanes should end crossing an intersection and pick up again outside the intersection, or the intersection should have right-of-way rules posted at the intersection so there’s no confusion. General rules of the road say that it’s wrong to turn across a lane of traffic travelling the same direction of you, but that’s exactly what’s implied should be done if a car wants to turn right at an intersection that has a bike lane.
The comments by toby about S. Broadway south of A-B are pretty accurate; and it’s frustrating because this entire stretch from Cherokee to at least Bates was resurfaced in 2002. However, bike lanes were not painted onto the roadway; it was just made four lanes, with some turn lanes in places.
It’s signed as part of the “Mississippi River Trail”, as is Rte. 231 (S. Broadway/Kingston/Telegraph) in South County. But, realistically, many portions of this route are not bicycle-friendly.