08-13-2016, 08:26 AM
It's actually one of the rare spots where the situation is worse going southbound than it is northbound. The right lane on the northbound side is a bit wider than normal, so there's actually a decent amount of space for cyclists next to the curb. The situation going southbound isn't too problematic if you're comfortable riding in traffic, but there is no clear direction for where cyclists are supposed to go. The correct choice, I suppose, is to move into the travel lane and claim your space, but more common choice with less confident riders would likely be to either straddle the line between the right turn lanes and the travel lane, which is potentially dangerous, or stay next to the curb and risk getting hit by a turning car that doesn't check their blind spot.
I typically end up doing something else entirely. I claim the right turn lane on both sides of Ottawa as a bike lane, but keep to the left side if stopped at Ottawa so that there's space for turning vehicles to get by me. Otherwise I keep to the centre so that drivers can't try passing me on the right. They're turning anyway, so it's not like I'm impeding their travel too much. I think it's the best balance between safety and convenience for drivers, but it's by no means the obvious choice.
I typically end up doing something else entirely. I claim the right turn lane on both sides of Ottawa as a bike lane, but keep to the left side if stopped at Ottawa so that there's space for turning vehicles to get by me. Otherwise I keep to the centre so that drivers can't try passing me on the right. They're turning anyway, so it's not like I'm impeding their travel too much. I think it's the best balance between safety and convenience for drivers, but it's by no means the obvious choice.