In 1998, the city of Eugene, in coordination with the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, studied bicyclist and motorist interactions at two types of intersections- a standard right turn lane with a “pocket bike lane” at 13th Ave. and Willamette St., and a combined bike lane/turn lane at 13th Ave. and Patterson St. At the latter intersection, there was insufficient space to create the standard minimum 4’ “pocket” lane and the potential for “right-hook” collisions between through cyclists and right turning vehicles. To resolve this conflict, the city installed a combined bike lane-right turn lane with dashed markings to distinguish bicyclists from right-turning motorists.
13th Ave. has a speed limit of 30 mph and carries 6,000-8,000 vehicles per day (vpd), in addition to significant bicycle traffic leading into the University of Oregon campus. Cyclists approach the intersection using a 5’ wide bike lane, which is then combined into a 12’ combined right turn lane, including the combined bike lane. This configuration compares favorably with the standard “pocket” lane, and many cyclists surveyed felt it was even safer than the standard model. The standard configuration (like that of 13th Ave. and Willamette St.) requires cyclists to shift to the left to reach the 5’ pocket lane (with no adjacent bulb-out). The study recommends this design approach on local streets with speed limits of 30 mph and traffic volumes less than 10,000 vpd.