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Traffic Light Change Benefits Cyclists

(Photo of Sand Hill intersection) A recent change in the traffic light pattern at the Sand Hill Road entrance to SLAC benefits the safety of cyclists.

Traffic leaving SLAC now gets a green light prior to traffic turning left from Sand Hill Road into SLAC. As a result, if a cyclist is sensed at the Saga Lane vehicle detector, this cyclist has priority to cross Sand Hill Road over vehicles making left-hand turns. This is to encourage cyclists to use the bicycle-friendly vehicle detector on Saga Lane and cross with the traffic light instead of crossing two lanes of fast-moving traffic.

The practice of making a right-hand turn, making a U-turn, and then using a traffic light to cross a major thoroughfare is a common practice in bicycle-friendly cities throughout the world.

—Mike Saleski
    SLAC Today, February 28, 2006

Above image: Sand Hill Road (Click on image for larger version).