I'm new at biking, and have seen many examples of left-turn situations, but none that quite match this one. Simply, what is the proper / best way to complete the turn pictured below, or is it smarter just to dismount and act like a pedestrian?
I'm hoping for a catch-all answer, but if it matters, this is in the California bay area.
I'm assuming here that, from left to right, S Mathilda Ave has a "right-turn" lane (Lane 1), three "straight on" lanes (Lanes 2, 3 and 4), then two "left turn" lanes (Lanes 5 and 6). (The white car second-from-right appears to be obscuring a left turn arrow painted on the road, correct?)
This being the case, my ideal position there would be sitting on that solid white line in between Lane 4 (second-rightmost blue car) and Lane 5 (rightmost white car). I'd want to be to the left of everyone going straight, such that when my light goes green, that position will naturally take me out wide of the cars turning left, putting you neatly onto your arrow on El Camino Real.
'course, as you'll most probably realise, the skill here will be getting into this start position in the first place, but nevertheless that is the ideal position.
Next time you take an aerial photo, would you mind waiting until all the cars there are different colours? It'd be far easier if I could say "between the red and the gold cars"!
At any intersection that has marked turn lanes, I position myself inside the outermost turn lane, inside the line enough that I can't be squeezed between a turning car and one going straight.
I then proceed through the intersection on a slightly wider path than the car will take so as not to impeded traffic any more than possible, and head for the bike lane.
The proper way is to signal and merge to the left turn lane. Alternatively you could stay in the right lane, cross the street and stop on the other side. Then wait for a green light and go straight.
The only really safe way to do this is to get off your bike and be a pedestrian. Depending on the drivers where you live, the amount of traffic, and your skill and confidence, this might just be the safest option. It might take you an extra 2 minutes to get where you are going. It might differ day to day depending on how much traffic is on the road, and other conditions such as the amount of lighting. You can also do the "pseudo-pedestrian" where you ride your bike straight across as if you were going straight, and then dismount, get on the side walk, walk back to the other cross road, and head straight across in the east direction once the light changes. Can be almost as fast a taking the turn directly, and many times safer.
I up voted John P's answer. In addition I would split trafic and get a the front of the outer most lane. I would make eye contact with the driver of the car behind me, too. It'll take seconds to get across that intersection and in CA you can split lanes to get in front.
Echoing some thoughts from above, I would usually avoid these sorts of intersections if at all possible. Those roads are just too over-sized (and likely high speed) for a bike. However, given that sometimes an alternate route isn't available, I'd suggest being a pedestrian at such intersections.
