Cycling rules in regards to multi-lane cross roads.

9 comments

1. If you want to go straight, you stick on the left, and kind of avoid the cars turning left. Like a pedestrian.

   Even if you want to turn right, stick on the left, cross, wait at the pedestrian side, then cross right.

   It sucks but it seems to be the way.

   Source: I used to go to the “turn right” car lane to turn right and got and got warned by cops.

2. Not official, but I’d stay in (right side of) the left lane, just out of the middle. I’d adjust where in that lane depending on traffic, and how fast I was going (vs traffic). Would avoid the left side of that lane to avoid the ‘squeeze play’ of a car thinking to come around and turn left in front of me.

3. The correct for cyclist is to stay left and just go straight.

   The correct for drivers turning left is to signal their turn first (with the blinkers) and then hug the kerb before the turn. The driver turning left should be close enough to the kerb that a cyclist is not able to get in between his car and the kerb even if they tried.

   Unfortunately most drivers are too stupid to follow this simple rule and make wide turns or signal too close to the turn, not giving enough time for a cyclist to react. On the other hand, a few cyclists seem annoyed with drivers following the rule because the car effectively blocks the road, especially if they have to wait for pedestrians to cross. But that is for safety, to make sure no 2 wheeler can get crushed in the blind spot while turning left. So be patient and stay behind the car, better to lose your pace than your leg.

   In the cyclists defense, I rarely see a cyclist annoyed by it, but ~~fast track organ donors~~ moped guys on the other hand…

4. I switch to the lane going straight (behaving like a car, checking behind me, hand signal). No way am I going into the turning lane, only to not turn at the last moment and go straight.

   Can’t think of many things more dangerous.

5. [Link](https://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/kotsu/jikoboshi/bicycle/menu/rule.html) to metro police bike rules page.

   -> 左折車通行帯のある場合と各種信号機の表示

   Stay left, not a fan of doing so as the cars just creep across narrowing space between car and other pedestrians crossing.

6. This isn’t the traffic rule but
   if it’s a left turning lane I suggest getting on the footpath before the intersection and cross at the pedestrian crosswalk.

7. always stay left. or better go cycle on the sidewalk if its not too narrow and act like a pedestrian.

8. did the middle lane crossing on to right turn in front of a police car and got shouted at over the megaphone..

   stay left

9. In Tokyo in most such cases you have blue bike lane written on the ground, and you simply follow them, usually this means keep left. From my limited experience, you should patiently wait for all your front, left turning cars to finish before you, then go straight.

   Here are some bad things I also do when left turning cars are ahead of me, but I don’t think they should be encouraged:
   – check your right and see if there are no cars, then ride to the right of your front cars and go straight. Only do this when you can confirm the cars at your front are all turning left and no one is on your right.
   – be part of the problem. In many cases the wait is long as the front car needs to wait for the pedestrian to cross first. Just go between the sidewalk and the front car to reach the cross way, and cross like you are part of the pedestrians. Only do this when you have enough room and there are many people crossing, so the front car driver will not make a move all of a sudden.