I feel like I should know this, but . . .

What's the rule on a bike going around the right side of cars (no bike lane, no right turn lane) to go through a green, with respect to cars turning right?  That is, does the right-turning car(s) have to wait for cyclists on the right to clear through the intersection, or does the cyclist have to wait behind the car?  Is this rule set forth somewhere?

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Permalink Reply by TonyP on August 30, 2018 at 5:13am

I've read this a couple of times and it almost sounds like you're asking if it's alright or legal for a bicyclist to shoal cars.

Is that what this is about?

Permalink Reply by Cooper Harmstead on August 30, 2018 at 5:25am

No.  As I said, I was trying to figure out who was in the right here, mostly for my own edification.  My wife came home very upset.  She was in a long line of cars in a single lane (narrow road, cars parked on right).  Some were turning, some going straight.  She had to turn right.  As she was turning, a cyclist - yes, shoaling a dozen or so cars waiting - came by very quickly on the right, between the line of moving cars and the line of parked cars.  She stopped mid turn because he was going through the intersection.  The passenger window was open, he stopped and stuck his middle finger in the window and said "F**k you, C*nt" (with my 6 and 8 year olds in the backseat).  While that's not really excusable, at least I'd like to know the legalities here.  I think we'd agree he was out of line with that comment and probably should have been more careful, but I was wondering about the brightline legality here.

Permalink Reply by TonyP on August 30, 2018 at 6:24am

All his actions were out of line and as far as I'm concerned, so what if he gets run over.

Cyclists are to follow the rules of the road, and as far as I can see it that cyclist was in the wrong. Not only in the wrong but he put himself in jeopardy. If I saw a move like that, and the cyclist was hit, I'd be willing to be a witness for the motorist.

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 30, 2018 at 3:24pm

If you bothered to read this you would have seen it is legal for a cyclist to pass on the right...

Permalink Reply by TonyP on August 30, 2018 at 5:03pm

Yeah, I read it. I don't care if it's legal or not, it's stupid.

I've read all about the evils of shoaling, but now it's all right to, basically, shoal cars. And let's make sure that everybody stop at all stop signs, even if there isn't another soul on the road, but go ahead and pass a stopped or slow moving car on the right.

Most here would be pissed off if an automotive vehicle squeezed thru their lane while passing on the left forcing them into tight quarters yet now it's just fine for a cyclist to squeeze thru and pass automotive traffic on the right thru those same tight quarters.

Permalink Reply by ad on August 31, 2018 at 5:57am

First, literally everyone that has posted here has said that legality aside, it's not safe to pass a car on the right in an intersection when it is clear that the car is going to turn right, so who are you trying to argue with? 

Second, when there's not a right turn only designated slip lane for cars, drivers aren't always great about signaling that they're going to turn right.  A lot of right hooks happen because a cyclist thinks the car is going to go straight, and therefore doesn't worry about passing on the right (and the cyclist may be moving faster than traffic in the bike lane, which is common at rush hour), and all of the sudden the car turns without warning and right hooks the cyclist.  If you're suggesting a cyclist passing a car on the right in an intersection when the car hasn't made its intention to turn right clear amounts to improperly "shoaling" a car, I'm guessing you haven't ridden much in this City at rush hour.   

Permalink Reply by David Henri on August 31, 2018 at 4:36am

If I'm coming up to a line of stopped cars at the red light, and I cannot get to the front by the crosswalk, where the lead driver can clearly see me, the I wait behind one of the cars, taking a lane.  I never wait at the right hand side of a car, knowing that half of them don't signal a right turn.  Also, by taking a lane, if the car in front of you does one of those last minute right turns, you have the choice to wait behind them, or pass on the left.  I've never been honked at by a driver for riding this way.  As soon as I'm through the intersection, I'm back to the right side of the lane.

Permalink Reply by ad on August 31, 2018 at 6:13am

Agree 100% if it's a red light and I can't get myself positioned at the front of the line.

I think the trickier situation is when cars get backed up at rush hour (sometimes for as much as a block), and the cyclist is going to hit the intersection with a green light and a line of slow moving traffic also moving through the intersection (and there's no designated right turn lane).  That's the situation where you see people get right hooked because a driver does something stupid and turns right suddenly without signaling (and I'd bet that's what happened with the recent Halsted collisions).  

Permalink Reply by Jim Reho on August 31, 2018 at 6:44am

Yep.

Permalink Reply by Mike Muczynaki on September 6, 2018 at 10:50am

+1 

I'll never enter an intersection with a car on my left.  

Permalink Reply by Phillip Hutchinson on August 31, 2018 at 6:39am

I pass stopped cars on the right often as I'm approaching stoplights (shoaling, I guess?).  As soon as the light turns green and/or cars start moving, I merge into the travel lane and ride with traffic until we're past the intersection. I'm usually doing about 5mph in this scenario and watching for doors, making sure there's enough gap to get through, etc. 

I'd never expect a right turning car in front of me to stop and yield so that I can ride straight through the intersection. If I see someone signal a right turn in front of me, I automatically start moving over to pass them on the left (or wait behind them) if I can't pass them before getting to the intersection. 

The only situation where I'd be passing on the right side of any car that is moving through an intersection is in a marked bike lane on a green light.

Permalink Reply by Filka Bean on August 31, 2018 at 3:20pm
No shoaling cars and follow the rules of the road? Here ya go, TonyP!

https://archives.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2015/07/30/this-is-what-hap...

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