rydabent

In a closed forum someone stated that you have to dismount in a crosswalk. This is no longer true in Nebraska. We passed a law that states cyclist have all the rights of a pedestrian while in a crosswalk. If you are on a bike path that crosses a street, it is just plain stupid that a cyclist would have to dismount to get across the street in a crosswalk.

Ironfish653

It's different from state to state, and city to city, but a lot of times, it's posted 'Cyclists Dismount' or something like that. I've only seen it though, in areas where a bike path and sidewalk join to share a crossing.

I've never seen it where a designated bike path or MUP crosses a road. I've seen 'STOP' lines painted, but I typically slow to appropriate speed for traffic / conditions, and proceed without a full stop.

However, if you're in a place that has a lot of pedestrian traffic, like a business district or downtown, you probably shouldn't be riding on the SIDEWALK anyhow.
Now, if you're on a SIDEWALK sharing a CROSSWALK with pedestrians, I see the reasoning, if not the validity of that. If there's no pedestrians around, I'll ride wherever is most convenient / safest for me at a given time.

Use good judgement, don't be a hooligan or an uptight recto-cranium about it, and everyone should get along fine.

wphamilton

Rydabent is right, it IS stupid to have to dismount the bike to use the crosswalk and hardly anyone does it, but unfortunately that's the law in many states.

Except in special cases, it's usually better in my experience to not use the crosswalk at all but when we DO use it, we're better off riding than walking. Crosswalks in my area are more dangerous than the streets and I want the option of getting across quickly.

indyfabz

The reason behind the prohibition in some places is that it's akin to riding on the sidewalk. That may work in Podunk, IA. The big city, not so much. You don't want to mix a bike with dozens of people moving at foot speed in both directions in a relatively narrow space. Not everything is one-size fits all.

indyfabz

You must live in a very narrow world that envisions only scenarios that you are familiar with. Off the top of my head I can think of one path-road crossing where dismounting is prudent. There is a blind curve in the road. There is also a hill. (Do they have hills where you live?) Just this year I was at that crossing and saw to people nearly get hit when they didn't dismount and car came down the hill and around the curve at a relatively high rate of speed. It's a self-preservation thing.

TimothyH

I'm convinced that Atlanta and the metro counties design crosswalks with the intention of killing pedestrians.


-Tim-

Maelochs

I agree that dismounting certainly makes sense is a lot of situations. I frankly would not Want to try to ride in a cross-walk if it was filled with pedestrians---they could knock me over way too easily.

In instances where I use a crosswalk, as a rule, there is no one else around, and often i am using a pedestrian-specific signal, because my bike won't trigger the regular traffic signal. But in all cases, I claim the rights of a vehicle on the road. Not hard to see where cars and motorcycles don't belong in crosswalks ...

But seriously, in a busy crosswalk full of self-absorbed pedestrians gabbing into their phones or reading their texts, hurrying blindly, and assuming the absolute right to go, stop, jump, turn, back up, or whatever---fully expecting everyone else to accommodate them---i would not want to be clipped-in, trying to balance on two skinny tires ... the worst-case scenario is a pedestrian would knock me into others. Just one good bump, with room to maneuver, I could probably stay upright, but if there were all kinds a peds walking in different directs, freaking out because I was crashing around .... i could see a lot of potential for widespread injury ... not a good scenario.

Daniel4

In a bicycle advocacy meeting with city officials, I once asked one person why there are "Cyclists Dismount" signs all over the bike trails and MUPs.

She cleared her throat as she responded tongue-in-cheek that the city has to do that for liability even though they knew nobody was going to dismount all the time.

rumrunn6

it's complicated. without cycling infrastructure, towns are grabbing at straws. brings to mind, a town near me, with progressive cycling infrastructure, solved the issue in these ways

SteelThisBike

Just go slow. Cyclists here who have close calls try to maintain their riding speed going into the crosswalk. I've seen a couple get hit that way. Go slow and be ready to accelerate. Right by me is a long uphill section of about 1/4 mile with a crosswalk smack between the lights. We get a lot of high performance cars and motorcycles here, and the pilots often use this marvelous hill for speed trials. Bicyclists crossing the intersection have to be really down on just how fast a Lamborghini or a ZX-10 can accelerate from a stop. The Teslas are especially treacherous because you can here them coming and those things are fast. They should hang a bell on those things, and the E-motorcycles.

pdlamb

As an occasional driver of motorized vehicles, dismounting for a crosswalk makes a lot of sense. If I'm turning right, I'll glance back to make sure no pedestrians are coming before I turn. I expect pedestrians to be moving 2-8 mph. If somebody on a bike comes blowing by at two or three times that speed, we may well collide. I can't guarantee I'm going to see him or her before I turn.

rydabent

Lincoln where I live has 130 miles of hard surface bike trails in the city. They are of course hiker biker. There are many many places where they cross streets. These crossing are both uncontrolled and controlled with lights.. There may or may not be pedestrians present. But-------------with our new law if you are in the cross walk lines you are protected just like a pedestrian, which BTW I think is logical. If a car can slow down and give a walker the right of way why not a mounted cyclist?

wphamilton

Oh yeah, there was a short time that I would walk to the grocery store, and THIS intersection gave me more close calls than in all the years of cycling since then. I don't know if it's design, or driving habits or both, but those cars turning right will not slow or stop for anyone in their way. Nor even look.

It was such an epiphany, pure relief, when I first took the through lane on a bike with traffic.




Death trap

fietsbob

Here...Oregon, ,
I'm stopped , foot on the ground and waiting for traffic to stop, at zebra crossing.. then I precede light, suspended high just blinks..
thru traffic makes a left turn..

at another intersection , as Light turns yellow I turn right , make a U turn then I'm in the cross traffic lane on the green ..

this is a small town US 30 splits for a few blocks 2 one way streets, some intersections have a control light, most don't...



....

TimothyH

Yep. Nobody in the Atlanta area stops before they make a right on red. They look left and turn right and might slow down, or not.

I had a guy making a right on red just blow through a few weeks ago. He saw my bike headlight coming through the intersection at the last minute, panicked, decided to go straight instead and drove over the curb onto the median.

I'm in West Cobb. Anything OTP GA400 is an order of magnitude worse.

My daughter goes to Tech. Students down there will kick a car or throw their Yeti cup at it when a driver fails to yield.


-Tim-

Marcus_Ti

About bloody time they change it. Only took someone skating on a hit-and-run because of it IIRC.

Of course the most sketchy part of all the Lincoln trails would probably go from A to about G streets on 4th street**....regulation bidirectional paved MUT that crosses 6 residential streets in short order but also over a dozen private driveways. NVM in fair weather kids camp out in the middle of it playing. Safer to just ride in the street.

**Granted...the bike "lanes" downtown are just stupid death traps. You pretty much have to be a Jimmy Johns delivery rider with a death wish to want to use those.

GrainBrain

I resemble that statement. Are New Yorkers longing for a vacation to fly over country or what? SNL had a bit last week on beautiful Dubuque

canklecat

The main reason for walking a bike through a crosswalk is self-protection. Too many US laws are designed solely for the convenience of drivers, regardless of mayhem to everyone else.

The only way to make crosswalks safe is to completely ban right/left turns on red, ban flashing yellow turn-after-yield signals, and require full stops for all vehicles until a specific green light signals it's legal to proceed.

Otherwise pedestrians will continue to do the best they can to protect themselves by "jaywalking" rather than use intersection crosswalks because intersections are kill zones. And cyclists are taking a huge risk trying to ride through crosswalks. It's particularly dangerous for disabled folks -- lights are rarely long enough to give them enough time to cross in wheelchairs, on walkers or canes.

But no constructive changes will occur until drivers are charged with manslaughter and the family member of a high profile politician is killed.

fietsbob

Even in a cross walk more than one pedestrian has been killed , 1 way, 2 lanes.. 1 car stops for elderly person , crossing,
driver behind stopped car , impatient, , pulls around to other lane to pass, accelerates and hits the person the 1st car was waiting
to cross the street , in the crosswalk .. in front of them..

Rajflyboy

TimothyH

Just felt like posting this bike lane in my town.




-Tim-

Doug64

IMO, if you are riding on the street, ride by the same rules as you would in a car, if you are on the sidewalk or in a crosswalk act like a pedestrian, dismount and walk your bike. Why would you be riding on a sidewalk or in a crosswalk anyway?

BlazingPedals

Or, I would add, at least travel at pedestrian speeds. Motorists are looking for pedestrians, who walk at pedestrian speeds; and don't scan far enough to catch someone approaching at 5x that speed.

superpletch

I agree. Sidewalks are for walking not riding a bike.

jp911

There are a few intersections in my area (SF Bay Area) where using the crosswalk and walk sign is the only reasonably safe way to make a "left" at an intersection that does not have a turn-only arrow. Picture a busy 4-way intersection, 4-lane city streets, with a light, and no turn-only arrow. I get that using the pedestrian privilege is technically illegal, but it is simply much safer.

The situation that I find frustrating is where the crosswalk allows for pedestrian traffic to cross busy streets where there aren't traffic signals/signs, or where there is no intersection at all. Pedestrians are usually moving much slower than a cyclist, so drivers have time to see the peds and have time to stop, but a bike moving quickly? It's a pretty big risk for the rider to assume the car can spot them AND stop in time for the cyclist.