On Milwaukee Avenue in Niles from Dempster going North to Golf Road, there’s a near-continuous center turning lane. It’s always been my understanding that this center turning lane is only for cars making left turns from the street itself, but recently I’ve encountered a lot of drivers turning left onto Milwaukee from businesses and using the center turning lane as an on-ramp, merging to the right – which is damn INSANE.
Checking online, I find that this practice is legal in some states, but I don’t see anything suggesting Illinois is one of them. Page 80 of the Illinois Rules of The Road states:
Two-Way Left Turn Lanes
2022 Illinois Rules of The Road, page 80
Two-way left turn lanes are marked with yellow lines and white arrows. A left turn may not be made from any other lane when a turn lane is provided. A vehicle may not be driven in the lane except when preparing for or making a left turn from or into the roadway or when preparing for or making a U-turn when permitted by law.
I looked up the Illinois Statute, and Sec. 11-801 (b) reads:
(b) Two-way left turn lanes. Where a special lane for making left turns by drivers proceeding in opposite directions has been indicated by official traffic-control devices:
(1) A left turn shall not be made from any other lane.
(2) A vehicle shall not be driven in the lane except when preparing for or making a left turn from or into the roadway or when preparing for or making a U turn when otherwise permitted by law.
(Emphasis mine)
So the statute and Rules Of the Road are in agreement – that last part prohibits using the center turning lane as a merge lane ONTO the road, yet I’m seeing it more and more. WTF is wrong with people. A problem is that there are so many terrible drivers out there, when some idiot tries turning left into the center turning lane while I am in the left lane, I can’t help but slightly panic in case it’s a maniac who can’t stay in their lane. Oh, and fuck that asshole anyway, I’m not going to be nice and let them in in front of me, rewarding their jackassery.
If you do this, please stop.