slip lanes serendipity

[mindstalk]

So there's a kind of intersection I've been seeing a lot of in Australian cities. There's be a fast turn lane, then a pedestrian island, usually no light (let alone a stop sign) before the curve, and repeated. So to cross the intersection you go across the turn lane, press a light button on the island, wait, cross to the opposite island, then cross that turn lane.

I think I've seen this in the US -- one obnoxious intersection on the east side of Bloomington IN comes to mind -- but very rarely, not common enough to be a thing. Here it's definitely a thing.

In one of those odd moments of serendipity, I have very recently been reading about slip lanes, which is what these are, including a piece today on slip lanes, safety, and speed. Apparently they're pretty common in the USA; I guess I only live in older places where they're not. Even the parts of LA I'm familiar with (Pasadena, Glendale) don't have them much.

Wiki

Comments

[mtbc]

They're known in Britain but unusual enough that I notice them when I see them. I was amused once in England to see a little car trying to fit down a fast turn lane designed only for bicycles.