Originally Posted by
orcalci2011
As others have stated, you should check the laws where you live. They vary, so anything I say here isn't necessarily true everywhere...
In general, pedestrians have the right of way at intersections, whether there is a marked crosswalk or not. They generally do NOT have the same rights if not at an intersection.
In many places, if crossing away from an intersection, pedestrians must YIELD to ALL TRAFFIC. Bicyclists are traffic, so a pedestrian should yield to oncoming bicyclists. As regards pedestrians walking in bicycle lanes: bicycle lanes are TRAVEL lanes, the same as all the other lanes on the roadway.
Again, I can't say this is universally true, but in many places pedestrians do not have the right to use travel lanes unless there is no sidewalk.
Important note: "sidewalk," "bike lane," and "MUP" (multi-use paths) are not the same. They many or may not be defined in your state or town's laws...The rules are different depending on which one of those we're talking about.
IMO, this is a dogmatically legalistic viewpoint by ardent cyclophiles, and is not operative in the real world. Not to refute it, but as I posted earlier on this thread:
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…My own thought is that
a MUP [even if called a bikepath] is not so much a commuter route, or training venue, but a pastoral park, where people can enjoy themselves without too many worries, and needn’t be always vigilant, as is a cyclist on the Road…
My own Golden Rule of Cycling is
“Do unto the Pedestrians, as you would have the Cagers do unto you.”
.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
IMO the vast majority of pedestrians on a MUP / Bikepath are more likely motorists rather than cyclists, and do not share the opinion that they do not belong on the Path
So I don’t expect pedestrians to show the same respect to cyclists, as we have to show toward cars i.e. “share the road.” Especially since those users likely paid more to construct the Path as their refuge from driving. So why should cyclists, likely the minority of users, take over these public spaces?
Originally Posted by
Maelochs
A pedestrian can be ticketed for jaywalking, etc, for walking in an unsafe manner…
I am sure you could get pedestrians ticketed Eventually, after hours of footage of bad behavior ... but I am not sure most police forces would want to issue a ticket in most cases---but as with cars and walkers, the fact that you cannot ram them does not equate to them having a Right to be there.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 09-01-18 at 11:37 AM.