CHANNELIZED RIGHT-TURNING LANES


    3 photos show a triangular island separating one lane for right-turning traffic from the remainder of the intersection. The lane has a painted crosswalk from the island to the curb and in each picture, a pedestrian is waiting on the island or starting to cross the lane from the island to the curb. On the island is a pole with a walk signal for the pedestrians crossing the streets on the other sides of the island -- there is no walk signal for pedestrians crossing the channelized lane. 3 photos show a triangular island separating one lane for right-turning traffic from the remainder of the intersection. The lane has a painted crosswalk from the island to the curb and in each picture, a pedestrian is waiting on the island or starting to cross the lane from the island to the curb. On the island is a pole with a walk signal for the pedestrians crossing the streets on the other sides of the island -- there is no walk signal for pedestrians crossing the channelized lane. 3 photos show a triangular island separating one lane for right-turning traffic from the remainder of the intersection. The lane has a painted crosswalk from the island to the curb and in each picture, a pedestrian is waiting on the island or starting to cross the lane from the island to the curb. On the island is a pole with a walk signal for the pedestrians crossing the streets on the other sides of the island -- there is no walk signal for pedestrians crossing the channelized lane.

      Channelized right-turning lanes are separated from the rest of the intersection by painted lines or raised barriers, usually in the shape of a triangular island, such as the one shown in the photos above (the first photo was taken many years ago, when the lines of the crosswalk were still visible).

      Traffic in these channelized right-turning lanes comes from one street (the "upstream" street), turns right and then has to yield to or merge into traffic on the perpendicular street (the "downstream" street). There is usually a pedestrian crosswalk where drivers are supposed to yield to pedestrians, although drivers do not always reliably stop (see experiments at channelized right-turning lanes in Maryland and California).

    There are several variations in the design of channelized right-turning lanes:

    • The island may have an acceleration or a deceleration lane or both;
    • The radius of the turn can vary;
    • There may be a signal specifically for traffic in the channelized right-turning lane.


    drawing shows a corner; one street shows two lanes going east, the other street shows two lanes going south. A right-turning lane cuts through the corner from the east-bound street to the south-bound street. One car in the east-bound lane is going straight, another car from that same lane is turning into the channelized right-turning lane. That car will have to stop and wait for traffic to clear before it can enter the south-bound street. Acceleration and deceleration lanes:

    In the drawing to the left, there is no acceleration or deceleration lane. As a result, traffic approaching the intersection in the lane nearest to the curb can go straight or turn right when it reaches the right-turn lane. Traffic coming out of the right-turn lane must yield to traffic before entering the other street.

    The drawings below have acceleration and/or deceleration lanes:

  • DECELERATION LANE: The first drawing below shows a deceleration lane for approaching traffic -- traffic in that lane cannot go straight, it must enter the channelized right-turning lane;

  • ACCELERATION LANE: The second drawing shows an acceleration lane -- traffic coming out of the channelized right-turning lane can enter the other street without yielding or merging into its traffic;

  • DECELERATION AND ACCELERATION LANES: The last drawing shows a right-turning lane with both an acceleration and a deceleration lane.

    Deceleration lane: The drawing shows a car in the east-bound lane -- his lane is blocked by the island, and he must turn right into the channelized right-turning lane. Acceleration lane: The drawing shows a car in the channelized right-turning lane entering a new lane in the south-bound street. Drawing shows a channelized right-turning lane with an acceleration and a deceleration lane.


    Drawing shows a street going east-west, and an intersecting street going southeast. The southeast corner is about a 45-degree angle, and the southwest corner is about 135 degrees. Each corner has a channelized right-turning lane.
    Radius of the turning lane:

      The radius of the turning lane can be small (SE corner in the drawing to the left) or large (SW corner). Drivers turning right in a lane with a small radius will need to slow down more than they do to turn in a lane with a large radius.

    Signal for traffic in the turning lane:

      Some channelized right-turning lanes have a signal, directing traffic in those lanes to stop.


    Because of variations such as turning radius and/or the presence of acceleration and deceleration lanes and signals, channelized right-turning lanes present a wide range of difficulty for pedestrians to cross.

    For example, those which have a deceleration lane, a wide radius, and an acceleration lane with no traffic signal are the most difficult to cross, because the deceleration lane, combined with the wide radius, means that the traffic does not have to slow down to approach the intersection, and it does not even have to slow down to yield to perpendicular traffic if there is an acceleration lane. The SW corner of the drawing above has each of these features except the acceleration lane -- click here for an analysis of the risks of crossing there.

    On the other hand, channelized right-tuning lanes which have a tight radius and no acceleration or deceleration lanes are much easier to cross. The presence of an accessible pedestrian-actuated signal to direct the traffic to stop for pedestrians can also make it easier.

    photo shows a pedestrian standing at the end of a channelized right-turning lane, facing the island and the crosswalk that leads to it. The curbramp with detectable warnings are parallel to the curb, which has turned so much that it is almost parallel to the crosswalk and faces out into the intersection. The crosswalk is usually located halfway between the beginning and the end of the separate lane (midway between the corners of the island) and aligned perpendicular to the curbs, as shown in the photos at the top of this page and the drawing above.

    However sometimes it is located at the end of the right-turning lane, where traffic has to yield to vehicles on the downstream street, such as the crosswalk to the island in the photo to the right. When this is the case, the traffic often is going more slowly and is therefore more likely to stop than it is in the middle of the lane, but drivers may not see pedestrians to their right because they are looking only to their left for vehicles. Also, alignment can be challenging because at that point, the curb is almost parallel to the "downstream street" (the street parallel to the crossing). In the photo to the right, the pedestrian is standing on the curb ramp which is aligned to go almost directly into the parallel (downstream) street, rather than toward the island.

    Strategies for crossing:
      • Click here for ideas for crossing roundabouts and channelized right-turning lanes generated by participants at a workshop.

      If there is no signal or stop sign at the crosswalk, it is an uncontrolled crossing. Strategies for blind people to cross at uncontrolled crossings include:
      • Cross when there is a gap in traffic that is long enough (this can be done only when there is enough warning of approaching vehicles to be able to know when it is clear to cross -- see "Situations of Uncertainty for Gap Judgment").
      • Get drivers to yield (see Bourquin et al, 2018). If crossing more than one lane, there should be assurance that traffic in all lanes has yielded.
          Blind people may not always reliably detect the presence of yielding cars (Inman, Davis, & Sauerburger, 2005) so the ability to detect yielding vehicles may need to be enhanced, perhaps with a strategy to get drivers to honk or announce their presence, or with an expertly-used Electronic Travel Aid.
          Strategies that have been successful for getting drivers to honk or roll down their window to say they are waiting include
          • bending forward and cupping your ear, as if trying to listen harder, or
          • holding up a sign saying something like "HONK if you have stopped."
          If you hear a honk from a vehicle in the approaching lane, wait for about a second to be sure the driver isn't honking to warn you to stay out of his way, which sometimes happens.
      As always, if it is not possible to determine when it is safe to cross, the level of risk must be considered (click here for an example). If the level of risk is not acceptable, alternatives should be considered.

    Bourquin,Eugene A.; Wall Emerson, Robert; Sauerburger, Donaand Barlow, Janet M. (2018). Conditions that Influence Drivers' Behaviors at Roundabouts: Increasing Yielding for Pedestrians Who Are Visually Impaired Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, January-February 2018; Volume 112, Number 1, pp. 61-71.

    Inman, Vaughan. W., Davis, Gregory. W., and Sauerburger, Dona. (2005) Pedestrian Access to Roundabouts: Assessment of Motorist Yielding to Visually Impaired Pedestrians and Potential Treatments to Improve Access. Federal Highway Administration Report DTFH61–02–C–00064

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