The Chainlink

Hi Everybody, I am just curious what the consensus is on where to stop when riding eastbound on Kinzie at Canal. This morning another cyclist yelled at another guy and me because we rolled up to the actual corner, where it says "Stop" in white on the bike lane. The unhappy cyclist was stopped way back where the first light is. To be fair the other guy did not look like he was planning to stop at all, and in general it just sounded like the end of a rough commute, but... How do you see that intersection, and are there other places where the markings or signage seem especially prone to different interpretations even among cyclists?

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You were in the correct place to stop. The first light is designed to hold back traffic so that the intersection doesn't gridlock and to allow traffic in/out of the residential property next door. 

Given the low volume of cross traffic in the intersection, that makes sense.

I had slowed because while east- and north-bound traffic was totally snarled, I couldn't remember if west-bound cars got a left turn arrow, and in the moment I was slowing the light turned green. Anyway, thanks for the affirmations! I feel better knowing all, uh, five of us are on the same page.
;)

First of all, don't let a loudmouth bully who's having a bad day (or life) affect your ride. F' *um! Use your best judgment and you'll be fine. Ride on! 

I usually stop farther back, but often will go as far forward as I can and still see the light. I noticed that originally there was only one stop line before the building exit, but that at some point in the past year an additional stop line in the bike lane was added closer to Canal.

I get that!  I'm actually coming from the SW and headed up to Chicago and Michigan, and ducking through the tunnels to St. Claire seems like the easiest and mellowest path through River North...  But those first blocks of Kinzie after the river are pretty rough, it's true.

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