<p>At signalized intersections, permitted left turns (i.e., on
a green ball, after yielding) across multiple through lanes and across a
separated bike lane or bike path present a substantial threat to bicyclist
safety. A conflict study of two such intersections found that when bicyclists
cross while one or more vehicles is waiting to turn
left and there is no opposing through traffic to block it, the chance of a
motorist yielding safely (i.e., waiting in the left turn lane) was only 9%, and
the chance of their yielding at all – including yielding only after beginning
the turn, then stopping in the opposing through lanes – was still only 37%.
Non-yielding rates were worse for bicyclists arriving during green, for bicyclists
on a two-way bike path riding on the right side of the road and therefore
facing a left cross conflict, and for bicyclists facing a queue with multiple
left turning vehicles. Of 112 cyclists who arrived on green when there was at
least one left-turning car but no opposing through traffic blocking it, 73 had
to slow or stop to avoid a collision. While these conflicts could be
essentially eliminated using protected-only left turn phasing (turn on green
arrow), existing criteria prefer permitted left turns to reduce vehicular
delay. A case study shows how, by considering multiple signalization
alternatives, it can be possible to convert left turns to protected-only
phasing without imposing a substantial delay burden on vehicles or other road
users. </p>