[wsmac] Passing and driving in a 2-way center lane
- From: John Brooking <johnbrooking4@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wsmac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 17:20:09 -0400
Hi, WSMAC,
Dennis asked me about this privately in another thread. I thought I'd make
a separate list thread out of my reply, for everyone's information.
Dennis asked:
Does the Maine State STATUTE 29 a have the description for Citations
issued to motor vehicle Operators / Drivers regarding using the Center Turn
Lanes as:
1. A PASSING LANE
2. A DRIVING LANE
I experienced both of the above Infractions recently.
One Autumn when I was working at CMP, I worked 2 weeks out of the Lewiston
Stations Operations Dept. performing Scheduled Protective Relaying Testing.
A Lewiston Metering Employee in a CMP PICKUP WAS TICKETED by a Lewiston PD
Officer for Driving in the Center Turning Lane ( Rte. 202 ) Outside of the
Lewiston Service Center while trying to turn L . I had to also turn L to
drive to a Hydro Station. I turned R instead and got into the Left Turn
Lane for a Shopping Mall with Signals . Drove into the parking lot and came
back out letting the Signals work for me so I could turn R and drive to my
Work location.
Our Portland Stations Crew were warned by our Dept. Manager, NOT TO DO
WHAT THE LEWISTON METER TECH DID
I found something about this in the section on *Traffic Lanes (section
2051)* <
https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec2051.html>,
paragraph 2:
* 2. Two-way lane. *On a public way that is divided into more than 2
lanes and one of those lanes provides for 2-way movement of traffic, a
vehicle may not be operated in that lane except:
A. When overtaking and passing another vehicle when the way is clearly
visible and the 2-way traffic lane is clear of traffic for a safe distance,
unless an official sign or traffic control device limits the use of that
lane to turning only;
B. In preparation for a left turn from the 2-way traffic lane;
C. When the 2-way traffic lane is at the time allocated exclusively to
traffic moving in the direction the vehicle is proceeding and is posted to
give notice of that allocation; or
D. As part of a 2-part turn when the vehicle turning left from a driveway
or entrance uses the 2-way traffic lane until the travel lane in the
direction the vehicle is proceeding can be entered safely by the vehicle.
I read that as it's okay to use them to pass (part A), but not to drive in
indefinitely. You say the metering employee was ticketed for driving in it,
while trying to turn left. The turning left part should have been an okay
use (part B), but maybe s/he was in it so long that the officer felt like
they were just using it for driving. I don't know, without having been
there.
Regarding part C, I don't know if this is what they mean, but it reminds me
of some roads in some larger cities I've driven in where one or more center
lanes change from serving inbound traffic in the morning to outbound in the
afternoon, indicated by large electronic signs with a green arrow or a red
X. I believe there's an interstate bridge down around NYC somewhere that is
like this.
Part D is interesting. I read that as it's okay to turn left INTO it from a
side street, before changing to the normal travel lane on the right. I
guess this might be necessary if the traffic is so busy that waiting for it
to be clear in both directions is a hardship.
As a bicyclist, I sometimes rely on people using a center two-way turn lane
to pass, if the regular lane is not wide enough for me to be passed
completely in the lane. This is the case, for example, on the 3-lane
section of Brighton Avenue. The shoulder is too narrow to ride in, so I
ride in the right tire track of the travel lane, and motorists reliably
move partially or wholly into the 2-way center lane to pass. It doesn't
feel ideal, but I can't think of any other safe alternative. (Except to
ride on the sidewalk, which is legal in Portland, but not as efficient for
cycling, since the pavement quality and potential for conflict both require
a pretty slow speed.) I do have to watch out for people so anxious to pass
that they do so without noticing someone already in the center lane coming
the other way, but that's actually pretty rare. It's never really been a
problem.
John Brooking
Cyclist, Cycling Educator, Technologist
http://cyclingsavvy.org
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