A Tale of Two Cyclists in a Rotary

Two Cyclists Ride Into a Rotary Intersection…

It is generally pretty simple for cyclists in a rotary intersection to use the general travel lane as a normal vehicle driver. Many modern roundabouts, especially single-lane ones, have design speeds under 25 MPH, making it easier for even casual cyclists to share the lane with motorized traffic. Other posts on this blog have introduced roundabouts, compared them to older-style rotaries, and discussed some technical details. This post illustrates the different experience for a bicycle driver versus an edge rider in an older-style rotary (the New England moniker; called a traffic circle elsewhere in the USA).

We did not stage this video, and we do not know the identity of the edge rider. A lane-riding CyclingSavvy instructor rode it in preparation for a 2014 course in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The rotary was a large, older one whose one lane was wide enough for entering and exiting drivers of smaller vehicles to pass to the right of a bicyclist riding near the center island. This rotary is at the Maine end of the Route 1 Bypass that leads from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (See Wikipedia article.)

The Edge Cyclist

To review what happened in the video:

• The lane-using cyclist entered the rotary.
• Congestion became apparent at the second exit after the cyclist entered.
• As the congestion cleared, the cyclist’s video shows an edge cyclist waiting ahead of the exit for a red car, which exited.

Presumably, the edge cyclist did not intend to exit there. Apparently the driver of the red car saw him and did not want to hit him. The driver slowed, evidently to wait for the cyclist before crossing his path. Meanwhile the cyclist, being unsure if the motorist was going to stop, also slowed. The two may even have gotten into a “waving match” before the driver went on.

With the cyclist riding at the edge, the rotary essentially functioned as if it had two lanes. Motor vehicles used the left “lane”, and the edge cyclist used the right “lane”. The cyclist was riding in an invisible bike lane around the edge, if you will.

This type of lane use sets up a potential conflict over right of way at every entrance and exit, exactly as shown in the video:

What About a Lane for Cyclists in a Rotary?

This is exactly the conflict which placing an actual bike lane around the edge introduces.

Some places have bicycle infrastructure more heavily integrated into roadway design, with bikeways separated from the travel lane, like a sidewalk. The crossings are also more perpendicular than the angled crossings set up by the edge riding shown above. The distance between the circular roadway and the crossings creates a bit more time for motorists to see bicyclists before crossing their path. This distance also creates better angles for both operators to see each other on the approach. However, a cyclist using such infrastructure needs to be aware that the potential for conflict still exists. Geometry and paint only somewhat mitigate the conflict potential. A video in another post offers an example of this treatment.

The Savvy Cyclist

The cyclist using the travel lane is in line with the rest of the drivers:

This lane position offers several advantages:

• The cyclist is easier to see, where drivers are already looking for other traffic.
• Riding in the center of the lane prevents motorists from passing cyclists in a rotary. The “two lane” right-of-way confusion and potential for conflict does not occur.
• Lane position also serves as clue to whether the cyclist is continuing around the circle or preparing to exit.

A cyclist preparing to exit can begin moving to the right, communicating the intention to exit. A right-turn hand signal is useful in a larger rotary such as this one. If this were a modern two-lane roundabout of similar width, drivers are supposed to exit from the inner lane if passing the first exit, but merging to or toward the outer lane before exiting may actually be preferable, as described elsewhere.

In theory, a shoulder check to the right should not be necessary when preparing to exit. The centered lane position should prevent a motor vehicle from passing on either side. However, if the lane is very wide, and the cyclist has been riding between the middle and the left edge of it to prevent left-passing, it can’t hurt to check to the right before moving. And a silent electric motorcycle or e-bike could pass on the right. Constant awareness of surrounding traffic is always a good idea.

As usual, riding as a vehicle driver, using the same rules, same lanes, and similar lane position (modified by the flexibility of driving a narrow vehicle), will serve the cyclist well!

An Update

In a 2017 construction project, bikeways were added around the outside of this rotary. The bikeways will be more comfortable for casual cyclists, but again, the potential for conflict always exists. The bikeways increase travel time for motorists who must yield to bicyclists at entrances and exits. Travel times also increase for bicyclists except in some cases if they ride clockwise. But that increases complications in transitioning from/to the right side of the road. This Google Street View shows an example, and you may click around to view other parts of the rotary as modified. Some parts of travel lanes were narrowed under the apparent assumption that cyclists would no longer use the circular roadway. — see Google Street Views from 2011, 2017 and 2019. That is a delicate assumption, especially given the increasing popularity of e-bikes.