BIKE: Safety Question

[Phil Hallmark]

In my case, I use the breakdown lane on 620 when I ride to/from work. If 
I had to take my place in the 2-mile stop-and-go traffic instead of 
riding past it in the breakdown lane, I would never ride my bike to 
work. Plus if I took my place in traffic, I would be hindering flow of a 
65+ mph traffic lane - simply not practical. However, riding in the 
breakdown lane on roads like 620 and 360 does carry added risk. It's a 
risk I do not take lightly, but I do take it.

 I think the biggest risk is not riding so close to 65mph traffic. The 
biggest risk is that there are many uncontrolled side streets and 
driveways (at least on 620). So for instance I could be tooling along 
and traffic is backed up - stopped - with a courtesy gap to allow 
oncoming traffic to turn left into a business or a street. If I do not 
notice the gap, it is quite likely that I will not see a left-turning 
car and he will not see me given the stopped traffic in between us.

Another more obvious risk is the case of an impatient driver swinging to 
the right into the breakdown lane to zoom up to an intersection to turn 
right. If I'm there and he does not see me.... bad news.

Regards,
Phil Hallmark



If my memory is correct, Forester emphasizes that a bicyclist is supposed to
be part of traffic and act like it. According to that concept, a cyclist
should do neither of the approaches you mention, but instead should take a
lane, get in line behind the cars in front, and wait for the back up to
clear. I do this when I commute and it seems to work.
But if there is a breakdown lane on the edge of the road, most cyclists I
know, including myself, take that lane