It's no secret that, in my esteemed opinion, San Francisco harbors some of the worst drivers in California. (But I'm one too, folks, hence I refuse to own/drive a car!) Which is why, in part, Baghdad by the Bay added some new bike lanes to problem areas around the city. However, according to authorities, those lanes might be causing more problem than they're preventing.
KTVU has more:
Specifically there is concern that confused or careless drivers attempting right turns are cutting off cyclists."There's a lot of confusion as to how to properly negotiate certain segments of the roadway," said San Francisco Police Commander Mikail Ali. "Cars making right hand turns at intersections is probably one of the number one sources of conflict between motorists and bicyclists."
Ali said many drivers don't realize they must merge into the bike lanes to make right turns. The key, he said, is to use the broken lines in the bike lanes as the cue to "take" the lane- while keeping an eye out for bicyclists.
Let's repeat that: drivers must merge into the bike lanes to make right turns.
We still need more new bikes lanes, though. (This brightly-colored one on Polk is a great start.) So it's time to start using your signal and stop making thoughtless right turns, drivers. Here's a helpful guide to get you started.