Old 09-14-22, 04:11 PM
  #10  
Mtracer
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Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Albuquerque NM USA
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Every situation is different.
If the road had just one lane and not a wide enough shoulder to ride safely to the right, I would use the bike path if there is any significant traffic either direction. Unless of course we're just talking a short distance, like half a block. If there were no shoulder and no other option, I'd claim the lane. Again, you have to be reasonable about this. Claiming the lane and slowing all traffic behind you for miles, would be just wrong. In that case, you've chosen the wrong road to ride a bike on.

Where I live, New Mexico, a few years back there was some proposed legislation to say that cyclist must use a bike path if available. This got shot down rather quickly. I, and many others, much prefer a wide shoulder to a parallel MUP. Obviously closer to traffic, but much less likely to have a problem with a car turning off the main road. Better to be out where they can see you and not on a parallel path set 20 feed to the side, out of driver's line of sight when they are turning.
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