4.6 Right Turns

On single carriageway roads and street where there is a low speed traffic regime, it is possible to facilitate cyclists weaving in order to make a right-hand turn into a side street or private entrance.

Mixed Street
In a mixed street environment, the cyclist should already occupy the centre of the traffic lane and can simply indicate to go right, stop and wait for a gap in any opposing traffic, and make the right turn. The vehicular speed regime for this solution should be no more than 30km/h.

Basic Right Turn from Mixed Street

• For urban centres, with low traffic speeds and volumes – cyclists in mixed traffic
• Stop or yield line at / behind rear of footpath
• Pole for stop / yield (not shown) located at rear of footpath, away from desire line for pedestrians
• Vehicle on side road makes two-stage progress, first across pedestrian crossing area, and then across cycle lane to enter traffic
• Kerb radii tight (3-5m)
• Wide road junction mouth narrow (6-7m, plus cycle lanes, if any)
• Cyclists take central position in traffic lanes

Cycle Lane
Where a cycle lanes is provided, the cyclist must signal with one hand and look over the shoulder for a gap in the traffic behind. Once in the main traffic lane, they can stop at the turn to wait for a gap in the opposing traffic and complete the turn when safe to do so. The vehicular speed regime for this solution should not exceed 50km/h.

Basic Right Turn from Cycle Lane

• For urban centres, stop or yield line at / behind rear of footpath
• Pole for stop / yield (not shown) located at rear of footpath, away from desire line for pedestrians
• Mandatory cycle lane approaching junction, to provide cycle space,  preclude parking,
• Red coloured surface in cycle lane in vicinity of junction (only) to improve legibility
• Cycle lane brought across mouth of junction
• Vehicle on side road makes two-stage progress, first across pedestrian crossing area, and then across cycle lane to enter traffic
• Kerb radii tight (3-5m)
• Side road junction mouth narrow (6-7m, plus cycle lanes, if any)
• Cyclists opposite side road may stop / slow to make direct crossing, or take central position in traffic lane before making right hand turn

Where space permits and there is strong demand, central hatching can provide a useful informal waiting are for cyclists turning right in two stages.

Higher Volume Vehicular Traffic
Where traffic volumes are high, weaving is not recommended. In such locations, it may be preferable to provide dedicated crossing facilities and these are dealt with below in Section 4.7 Crossings.

Combined Traffic Speed Control and Crossing Point
Where vehicular traffic speeds are high, as may be the case on an existing road, it may be appropriate to introduce a pinch point to passively reduce the speed of vehicular traffic and provide a safer crossing facility as part of a traffic calming scheme. See Cycle lane and Pinch Point in Section 4.7.1 below.

Right turning cycle facilities at junctions, entrances and private properties along multi lane roads approaches is generally not recommended. Cyclists would have to weave across at least two lanes of traffic with a much greater risk of being hit from behind.

Dedicated Right Turning Facilities

At certain junctions where traffic speeds are less then 50km/h, it may be possible to use a dedicated right turning cycle lane. This is described in the following drawing.

Dedicated Right with ASL

Principle of design

Right turning cyclists can weave across a single traffic lane to a feeder cycle lane before traffic starts to split into separate traffic streams.

• Not suitable where cyclists must weave across two lanes (e.g. bus lane and traffic lane) to enter RH cycle lane / ASL
• If there is no cycle feeder lane to right hand ASL, do not put in ASL – install box turn facility only
• Requires RH ASL / traffic stream to be separately signalised (e.g. kerbed from straight ahead traffic, or gantry mounted signals, for separate signal staging)
• Consider box turn facility in addition to Right Turn ASL, for more cautious cyclists
• Keep right hand pocket short (max 30m) to reduce likelihood of cyclists being between two lanes of moving traffic

Box Turns should be used on larger signalised junction to facilitate right turning cyclists.

Cyclists stay to the left of the approach, move into a stacking area at the mouth of the side or cross road, and wait for the green phase. This arrangement avoids right turning cyclists having to weave across busy traffic lanes, or getting stuck between opposing streams of traffic in a junction. It also permits straight ahead cyclists to continue along the main road unobstructed.

Box turns are recommended in any or all of the following circumstances:

• Where the speed and volume of traffic requires segregated cycle facilities
• Where there are more than one traffic lane in the same direction,
• Where weaving or uncontrolled crossings are unsuitable
• To provide a right hand turn for cyclists at junctions where vehicular traffic is not permitted to turn right.
• It will generally be necessary to set back the pedestrian crossing of the side road by 2.5m to 3.0m to create an advance stacking area in front of the pedestrian crossing line. The stacking area must be clearly visible and should not obstruct crossing pedestrians or straight ahead cyclists.
• Box Turns require the presence of secondary signals for side road traffic control. Otherwise, stacking cyclists will not know when to cross.

Standard Box Turn

Design Issues:

• No ASL for right turning cyclists
• Short traffic signal cycle time essential (90 seconds maximum)
• Pedestrian crossing line displaced to accommodate cyclists on the side road
• Secondary signals on side road (or dedicated cycle aspects) to guide turning cyclists
• Ensure “box” on side road is located correctly i.e. is located away from the swept path of turning traffic on main road.

At multi-lane side or cross roads, where separate streams on the main and side roads are signalled to run concurrently (e.g. RH in, LH out), the position of the cyclists’ stacking box is important.

Box Turn with Dedicated Left on Cross Road

Design Issues:

• As Per Standard Box Turn Above
• Box Turn must not be located in front dedicated left lane.

Box Turn with Dedicated Right on Cross Road

Design Issues:

• As Per Standard Box Turn Above
• Box Turn must not be located in front dedicated right lane.

On links where there may be high volumes of cyclists turning right, such as at a school entrance, Jug Turns can accommodate stacking cyclists while permitting straight ahead cyclists to continue through.

Basic Jug Turn and Cycle Lane

• Jug-handle crossing
• Right hand uncontrolled crossing – waiting cyclist on inside of passing cyclists and traffic
• Pedestrians displaced
• If unacceptable delays for cyclists to cross road, consider signalised toucan crossing

High Capacity Jug Turn and Cycle Lane

• Jug handle crossing, with cycle lanes
• Right hand uncontrolled crossing – waiting cyclist on outside of passing cyclists
• If necessary, consider kerbing of jug handle cycle waiting area, for greater legibility for approaching cyclists
• Pedestrians displaced
• If unacceptable delays for cyclists to cross road, consider signalised toucan crossing

Jug Turn and Cycle Track

• Informal jug handle crossing, with cycle tracks
• Ensure cycle track wide enough to provide for cyclists to pass on inside – minimum cycle track width based on one cyclist and one passing (see width calculator)
• Right hand uncontrolled crossing – waiting cyclist on outside of passing cyclists
• Pedestrians not displaced
• Provide bevelled kerbs / ramps to assist cyclists cross from tracks to road level etc.
• If unacceptable delays for cyclists to cross road, consider signalised toucan crossing

High Capacity Jug Turn and Cycle Track

• Jug handle crossing, with cycle tracks
• Right hand uncontrolled crossing – waiting cyclist on outside of passing cyclists
• Provide kerb ramps to facilitate smooth cycle crossing of road and across cycle tracks (and across footpaths to key destinations, if necessary)
• Pedestrians displaced
• If unacceptable delays for cyclists to cross road, consider signalised toucan crossing

Subject to Department Approval – See Traffic Signs Manual

At toucan crossings, pedestrians and cyclists share the road space under a combined green-man and green bike signal stage, but pedestrians retain priority.

Toucans are currently limited to mid-block locations.

The principles governing toucan crossings may be extended to the all pedestrian phase at a junction, subject to Department approval.

During the all-red traffic stage, both pedestrians and cyclists could utilise the wrap around green man pedestrian phase, subject to a number of considerations:

• only suitable for tight confined junctions, with short cycle times and short pedestrian crossing distances
• ideally, cycle stacking space /box turn facilities should be included on all legs
• use a green cycle aspect in association with green man