Raven's Roads
Living an interesting life: the travels and musings
of motorcycling author Linda R. Moore

Mar 27, 2006

Poor planning

I would like the name of the road designer who designed the intersection of 101 South and 880 North, if you please. I wish to give him a stern talking-to.

I am hurtling along the freeway at a suitable freeway speed.

I wish to turn onto 880 North. 880 North is above me–I have to go under the overpass and make a sharp right to enter.

At the start of the bridge is a freeway off-ramp. At the end of the bridge is my on-ramp.

Cars are pouring onto 101 from the off-ramp, on my right hand side.

These cars need to merge to my left. I need to merge to the right. There are exiting cars to my right. I am blocking the exiting cars on their left. I have exactly the width of one freeway overpass to figure out this conundrum.

I manage it only by gunning the bike in a straight line and then having to brake very, very hard indeed to handle the upcoming uphill u-turn that is the on-ramp to 880.

As I said. A stern talking-to.