Crossing I-5’s Exit 14 with bicycle traffic signal

For beginning cyclists’ edification, here's my “review” of Oregon Department of Transportation's I-5 Exit 14 overpass south of Ashland, Oregon.

Yesterday’s trip marked my first experience with a bicycle traffic signal. It resembles the traffic signals commonly used by motorists but with a cut-out bicycle emblem.

I did my research ahead of time concerning how to get “the green light.” The City of Portland Office of Transportation has compiled a helpful guide, which I found available as a PDF at Portlandonline.com.

Basically, a special emblem on the roadway resembles the “cyclist” bike-lane mark, but is smaller in size. It also has vertical lines above and below the emblem. You stop your bicycle on this emblem to signal to a roadway sensor that you need a green light.

My eastbound trip across the overpass took place without incident: I located the roadway marking but the bicycle traffic signal was already on green and I was able to proceed through the intersection.

A sign warned motorists that they could not make right-hand turns on red.

Heading back west across the Exit 14 overpass was another matter entirely. It, too, has a designated bike lane in which cyclists can travel. But from this direction, there is no bicycle traffic signal, nor any roadway sensor.

Just after I entered the intersection, the light turned yellow and then red.

Please, Oregon Department of Transportation, come back and finish the job. Cyclists need safe roadway access in both directions on the I-5 Exit 14 overpass.