Here are questions from Road Warrior readers:
Adrienne wrote in to report that she had read on KRCB radio’s Facebook page an account of a Santa Rosa police officer stopping bicyclists on Humboldt Avenue for not coming to a complete stop at stop signs. According to the posting, the officer said he was instructed to use “maximum enforcement” in wake of the recent local deaths of bicyclists in accidents with cars. Our reader is wondering what’s going on.
The answer comes from Police Sgt. Lance Badger, who says an increase in pedestrian vs. vehicle and bicyclist vs. vehicle accidents prompted the Police Department to pass the word to officers to be “more aware” of traffic violations by bicyclists and pedestrians. And that means when they sees “flagrant” violations, they enforce the law, he said. Badger it’s a matter of “heightening the awareness of our employees” and there is “no special targeting” of any group in particular.
Here’s another question:
Can someone please tell me the rules of the intersection at Todd Road and East Todd Road. Specifically, when you are heading east after exiting the freeway and you come to the stoplight near Tower Mart and Rotten Robbie. There are two right turn lanes that go toward Santa Rosa Avenue and a left turn lane that heads to 101 north. What are the rules? Too many times I will be in the second right turn lane (furthest from the curb) and vehicles that were in the first right turn lane (closest to the curb) will cut across the lanes to make an attemp to merge into the two left turn lanes that will head north on Santa Rosa Avenue. Are they in the wrong? Should vehicles that are in the lane closest to the curb stay in that lane, and thus, only be able to make a right turn to head down S.R. Avenue, or are they able to cut across to the lane next to them that would enable them to continue east on East Todd Road, or make a left on S.R Avenue? Please help. This intersection is a daily source of frustration for myself and my co-workers. I hope this makes sense. Steve
The answer, after checking with the CHP, which has jurisdiction for that part of unincorporated Santa Rosa, is that drivers in the far right lane must turn right if the lane marking is a solid white line. If it’s a dotted line, they can merge to the left if safe. An exception would be if there’s a sign restricting merging, but there is none posted on Todd Road. So in the case you cited, drivers who get off Highway 101 and stay in the far right lane have to turn right at the intersection just east of Rotten Robbie. Then, continuing east, drivers who are in the far right lane approaching the intersection with Santa Rosa Avenue can merge over before they hit the solid white line.
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If you have a question for the Road Warrior, email it to jim.fremgen@pressdemocrat.com
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ER
Regarding Todd Road, the drivers are probably trying to do what I call “the Sonoma County left turn” which I see often, where cars in the right lane turn left across other lanes and vice versa. It’s annoying, dangerous, and I see it all the time.
September 1st, 2012 9:54 am
JWMcDonald
Re Bicycle Ticketing – it’s about time!
September 1st, 2012 10:08 am
Chris from Santa Rosa
Cyclists getting ticketed for flagrant violations is nothing new. Levi Leipheimer himself was ticketed once for blowing through a stop sign. As a cyclist, I absolutely agree that cyclists should be ticketed for flagrant violations, especially if their actions interfere with the right of way of others.
Now, if we could get enough cops to ticket all the speeders on Hwy 101, our budgeting problems would be over!
September 1st, 2012 2:03 pm
Ben
They left out bicyclist vs. pedestrian. I’ve been almost run down by a cyclists way more times than almost run down by a car.
September 1st, 2012 3:02 pm
jon
@JWMcDonald – About time? Look again it’s been going on for a while. http://roadwarrior.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/15088/mailbag-hoWilliam Congrevew-many-tickets-to-bicyclists-passing-on-the-right-shoulder-of-101/
September 1st, 2012 6:13 pm
Rita-Marie Miller
Re: Bicycle Ticketing – Bicyclists running stop signs are not a danger to themselves or others. We are intimately aware of our surroundings, unlike people in vehicles, and CAN make safe rolling stops. In fact in some areas of the country, Idaho being one example, rolling stops for cyclists have been legalized due to this fact. JWMcDonald’s post is merely the same vindictive ignorance that drivers use to justify harassment and assault against cyclists every day. He probably thinks we belong on the sidewalk too.
September 1st, 2012 8:18 pm
sheryl
@Rita…It’s still a violation of the law. Even though you may think you are smarter than average.
September 2nd, 2012 7:17 am
Suzanna
Rita, you aren’t serious are you? Do you wear a blindfold while cycling? Do you really think a cyclist cannot be run into by a vehicle entering the intersection that is being ignored by the biker? And what do you mean WE. Do you speak for every cyclist? The law is there to protect those who do obey from those who do not. Driver, cyclist or pedestrian. Sorry to say that those who will not govern themselves will be governed.
September 4th, 2012 11:19 am