Right Turn Across a Bike Lane in Santa Fe
You are westbound on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe at 25 mph, approaching a driveway on the right. A cyclist is in the bike lane to your right, also westbound, at about 15 mph. You are 100 feet from the driveway; the cyclist is about 15 feet behind your right shoulder. You have your right turn signal on. A city bus is behind you, close enough that its headlights fill your mirrors. The bike lane is narrow and has a storm drain grate 20 feet before the driveway. You plan to slow to 10 mph and turn right into the driveway. It is dusk, and the cyclist is wearing dark clothing with no visible light. Your headlight is on. Traffic is moderate.
1. Who has the right of way, and what is the main hazard in this turn?
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The cyclist is traveling straight in the bike lane, so the cyclist has the right of way over your right turn. The main hazard is the right hook: if you slow and turn across the bike lane before the cyclist clears, you cut off a vulnerable road user who is moving faster than your turn will be. Your speed advantage does not create a right to turn in front of the cyclist. The dark clothing and missing light make the cyclist harder to see at dusk, which raises the duty to check carefully rather than lowering it.
2. How should you execute the turn without cutting off the cyclist?
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Signal early, slow smoothly, and check the right mirror and your right shoulder before changing anything. Do not accelerate to pass the cyclist and then turn across the bike lane. Let the cyclist pass the driveway first, then turn behind them. If the cyclist is alongside or nearly alongside, wait. Watch the storm drain grate because it can upset a bicycle or a motorcycle if you cut too close. Enter the driveway only after the bike lane is clear and your path is confirmed; the turn should be delayed, not rushed.
3. The bus is close behind. How does that change your decision?
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The bus does not change the cyclist's right of way. Pressure from behind is a reason to signal and brake smoothly and early, not a reason to turn across the cyclist. A sudden stop can be risky with a bus close behind, so reduce speed gradually and make your intentions clear. If the bus passes or crowds you, still wait for the cyclist. The safe decision is to accept a few seconds of delay rather than create a collision that the bus cannot avoid either.