Construction Zones, A Love Story
If you ride enough, sooner or later it will happen: you’ll encounter road work. Chances are, you won’t have known about it when you sallied forth on your machine, intent on riding one of your favorite routes. But then you’ll see the signs that say “Right Lane Closed Ahead”, the construction cones (or barrels! They got barrels, too!), and perhaps even the machinery and workers.
It’s often too late to turn and follow a different route, as the signage often begins mid-block. So then the decision is whether to find a place to turn around or to move over into the motor vehicle lane and proceed.
My experience is that these inconveniences are the least of the matter. I’ve found that the road surfaces tend to get complicated, whether due to the removal of lane stripes or the transport of loose gravel and sand and whatnot across what’s left of the remaining roadway.
Worse yet are those cases where the cones (or barrels! Watch out for those barrels, now!) are not placed in a neat row. So if there is still a sort-of bike lane in the case of a lane shift, some cones (or especially barrels) end up blocking the lane.
Sounds like a pain, right? I have actually found just the opposite to be true. First, let’s remember that construction zones represent a better road surface in the future. In the present, cyclists – and construction workers, too – can also contribute to better transit.
For one thing, I’ve found lane closures and lane shifts great opportunities to practice the look-over-your-left-shoulder bit. This is of course the first move before signaling for a lane shift or turn. I’ve found that the look gets the attention of motorists. They pay more careful attention to their lane position. That’s important when a lane shift or lane closure is coming, you know? When the look is followed by a hand signal pointing down at the lane to the left, most everybody gets it. I move over, and we form a nice line of slow-moving drivers who pokey-poke our way thru the zone.
For another, when those wayward barrels (actually, it’s most always barrels) are sitting in the middle of the ersatz bike lane, I’ve learned to take matters into my own hands and move them over, neatening up the line. Here’s the technique: you lean the barrel over, then roll it. I can do this while still standing over my bike. Woo-HOO!
Here is where the story gets even better: if construction workers are present, and they see me coming, and I see barrels blocking my way, they are often happy to move them for me. All that’s required is I crane my neck to tilt my head like a confused puppy while looking at the barrel. It’s as if I’m saying, “Gee, that doesn’t belong there!” Most everybody gets it.
Okay, there’s the inconvenience of lane closures, new stripes, barrels, and so forth. But construction zones provide opportunities for proper communication with other drivers, and they serve to slow down the traffic. Both are of tantamount importance to traffic safety. Cyclists can positively influence both. So keep riding, and see you in the zone!