08-29-2017, 12:52 PM
(08-29-2017, 11:03 AM)Canard Wrote: I guess I'll be in the minority here and say I actually like the Caroline MUT very much. I just never know how to "Get onto it" when coming off the IHT. I'm never quite sure what to do at Caroline/Allen. Usually there's no traffic around so I just make a decision at that point if if I just go or not.
It's best at rush hour, too - when Caroline gets very backed up. I used to ride along the road on Caroline, but after getting stopped in bumper to bumper traffic (I refuse to "split the lane" or whatever and be one of those people who squeezes up the side like a dick - hate that as a driver, so I refuse to do it as a cyclist - totally unsafe), I now always ride on the MUT. Problem solved!
I'm never on Caroline during rush hour, but if the option were to sit in traffic or take the MUT, yes I'd probably choose the MUT.
What I don't like are just the normal problems with MUTs - conflicts with pedestrian traffic if it is anything but very light, and intersection design that technically requires cyclists to dismount. This is what I was getting at before - if a cyclist rides through the crosswalk and gets hit by a driver, they will be at fault for riding in a crosswalk. And yet there are 6 intersections in about 700m of trail, so the vast majority of cyclists will not dismount every time.
Also I think particularly right at the ION station they've underestimated the potential traffic on the MUT. I expect there will often be cyclist-pedestrian conflicts here.
As far as getting on from the IHT, I suggest getting on from Freemont, Norman or Fullerton rather than trying to turn onto the crosswalk at the lights at Allen. In my opinion there's less chance for confusion plus the jog in the MUT at Allen is awkward anyways.