fietsbob

What's the proper etiquette for riding a bicycle on sidewalks?

It, in essence depends on location, local density, courtesy , and your speed..

I have a curb to curb 4 lane highway , 1/2 block down the hill from my house..

Returning home I am counter flow on the sidewalk , but slow, and have little trouble sharing the space..

wsteve464

California has no state wide legislation regarding where cyclists ride, it is up to each city/county. Ventura county restricts cyclists from sidewalk riding in business districts.

Also a bicycle is not a vehicle under the code in California.

Kabuki12

You are correct , I just looked it up. It surprises me as a bicycle when ridden is certainly not a pedestrian. I still believe in the controversial "vehicular cycling" . It just makes more sense to use the road versus riding on sidewalks . The recent "share the road" law in California makes it more possible than ever to avoid sidewalks. We have to respect the same laws as motor vehicles in most circumstances. Joe

Troul 

I'd have went against traffic. Self propelled transportation cannot do the same as an automobile. Anyone that says you should go the direct of cars or risk a ticket is not using common sense with logic. If you were on a motorcycle, then you would be required to drive the same distance as the car would.

livedarklions

But a bicycle is a vehicle in San Francisco, and if you're over 13, forbidden from being ridden on sidewalks.

wsteve464

A bicycle is not a vehicle in San Francisco, under the Calif Vehicle Code all persons riding a bike must follow the same rules and regs as a person operating a vehicle unless inapplicable. Calif code allows local laws governing where cyclists can ride, SF is pretty strict.

livedarklions

Whoops, you're right. It's confusing because the municipal code refers to "Non-motorized User-propelled Vehicles (NUV)", but vehicles with a "chain, belt, or gears" are excluded from that category in the definitions section.

Vintage Schwinn

In my opinion, there are certain high traffic, relatively high speed congested streets which if they cannot be entirely avoided, using a parallel street with less traffic, I do deem it acceptable to for a minimal short stretch as necessary, riding on the sidewalk at a very slow speed until such time that I can make my way to a safer street upon which to ride.

SLOW SPEED IS IMPORTANT AT ALL TIMES WHEN ONE MUST RIDE ON A PORTION OF THE SIDEWALK, INSTEAD OF THAT DANGEROUS, HIGH TRAFFIC STREET WITH MULTIPLE LANES AND A TRAFFIC FLOW THAT "speeds" AVERAGING GREATER THAN 45mph WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALS SYNCH TO PROMOTE A MORE RAPID FLOW OF AUTOMOBILES such as 7am to 10am AND BETWEEN 3pm and 7pm.

Avoidance of such dangerous streets and roads is the best solution but as everybody knows, there are just sometimes no alternative solutions when you must navigate from one area of your city to another area.

RIDING AT A SLOW SPEED IS ESSENTIAL WHEN YOU MUST RIDE ON A MULTI-USE PATH THAT IS CONGESTED WITH CHILDREN, DOGS ON LEASHES, GRANDMAS & GRANDPAS WITH CANES WHO ARE EATING ICECREAM, JOGGERS, PEOPLE ON THOSE POWERED SKATEBOARD THINGS THAT PROBABLY ARE PROHIBITED FROM SUCH PATHS, The Young Father Running With Year Old Daughter in the Fancy Running Stroller and their Black Labrador named BoBo running along on the left side of the stroller and their Chocolate Lab named Hershey running along the right side of the stroller................you get so many folks along that MUP that it is impossible to predict exactly how those pedestrians will weave about..............................SLOW DOWN!!!
There is No Excuse for being that dumbass arrogant bicycle pilot that appears to be attempting to set a new world landspeed record.
You've got to go SLOW on sidewalks too because if you're hauling azzz and folks exiting residential or business driveways do not expect to encounter a cyclist wizzing down the sidewalk at 23 mph or even 13mph. You've got hedges, landscaping, shrubs, fencing, walls, signs, telephone poles and other items that obstruct the view from cars attempting to exit driveways. They may be limited to 70 feet or so visability of that particular sidewalk in one or both directions..........might be less than 50 feet....................you cannot really fault those drivers trying to exit driveways BECAUSE they typically DO NOT EXPECT THAT ANYTHING IS COMING DOWN THAT SIDEWALK AT GREATER THAN A FAST JOGGER........................................-you see they mentally calculate that not even the fastest marathon runner from Kenya can't come into view and reach their exit point................................YOU ARE HAULING AZZZZ AND THE SIDEWALK IS WINDING AND DOWNHILL and AwPhu.....BOOM!!! you and the 2019 MERCEDES SUV collide.

Realize that just because your bicycle may be capable of cruising 22mph, you are not entitled to travel beyond the posted speed limit on multi-use paths, or what would be deemed safe and prudent given the current conditions of pedestrian occupancy at that moment in time!
DON'T BE A JERK!! If You Cannot travel SLOW enough, well you should ride someplace else.
Yes, you can argue all you want that so and so was in the wrong by unexplicably weaving while walking and that otherwise you would have had the hole you needed to get through the crowd. Guess what the Judge is gonna say when she/he determines that conservatively you were travelling at least 13mph. You'll be scolded and blamed for having poor judgement and creating the fiasco. Common sense says that some stupid fool aboard a bicycle simply cannot ride like the wind on a multi-use path where folks are congested, walking at the slowest pace. Joggers get the same sort of reaction from Judges when they cause mayhem with pedestrians along crowded paths, so it isn't exclusive to the jerks on bicycles.

As to Sidewalk Riding: DO IT ONLY AS NECESSARY and RIDE SLOWLY AND VERY CAUTIOUSLY because you may not actually be as safe as you think !

Surubi

In Copenhagen bike lanes are between the sidewalk and roadway. A pedestrian may not walk in the bike lane or a cyclist ride on the sidewalk. However, in some neighborhoods the sidewalks are quite narrow and the carelessly parked bikes make it impossible to walk on the sidewalk, and cyclists yell when you step into their, full width, lane. I was amazed when I found myself cursing one of them.

ArchEtech

I ride on walks all the time. I don’t make people get off the pavement I ride in the grass and go around them. Seems polite enough for me.

FrankBooth

I'm in NYC, only on the sidewalk usually for a minute if maybe a narrow street or crazy traffic foolery.

SweetRower

danger danger danger Will Robinson
When I see some1 I dismount

BEC111

Here in Loudoun county, there are sidewalks that function as MUPs. They’re generally paved in macadam and wide enough for their purposes. Also, many of the roads don’t have room for cyclists l though those that do are well travelled. I’ve been reluctant to ride in the roads because they not that strong a rider, but now that I have my ebike I’m more confident and have done so where necessary.

Etiquette wise, the general rule is pedestrian and skateboarder priority.

Glyndwr

This has been covered so many times before on this forum, but we are CYCLISTS, and no matter the safety issue with riding in the street, we do not belong on sidewalks. Note, the word is sideWALK, not sideCYCLE.

If you feel the area in which you live is not safe for riding in the street, then don't ride there. Put your bicycle in/on your motorized vehicle, and go pedal somewhere more secluded, or find a quiet bike trail. You could also "get on your big boy pants" and do something about i! Advocate for a bike lane or get involved with Rails-To-Trails and help to create more safe areas in which to ride your bicycle. Unless there is a clearly-marked bike lane involved, STAY OFF OF THE SIDEWALKS!

Clarinetrox

It’s the sideWALK. You should never ride on the sidewalk, dismount if it’s really necessary to be on there.

rwag

The state of Arizona, where I live, does not have a law against bicyclists riding their bikes on sidewalks with other pedestrians. However, the state does allow each city to determine their specific bike laws. It could be legal in the state, but still illegal in the city you are riding in.

rwag

The state of Arizona, where I live, does not have a law against bicyclists riding their bikes on sidewalks with other pedestrians. However, the state does allow each city to determine their specific bike laws. It could be legal in the state, but still illegal in the city you are riding in. my personnel opinion is that bikes belong on the street as a courtesy to the pedestrians.

rwag

The state of Arizona, where I live, does not have a law against bicyclists riding their bikes on sidewalks with other pedestrians. However, the state does allow each city to determine their specific bike laws. It could be legal in the state, but still illegal in the city you are riding in. my personnel opinion is that bikes belong on the street as a courtesy to the pedestrians.

cacher

I ride on them when necessary, since Ive never seen a bicyclist run over by a car on a sidewalk.

BobbyMo

In NYC its a criminal offense to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk unless one of the following is true:
1. you are crossing it (similar to how a car crosses into a driveway or parking lot).
2. you are 14 years old or younger
3. the sidewalk is marked as a bike lane

Note that getting a summons for riding a bike on a sidewalk requires a court appearance. (In comparison, running a red light or speeding, does not.)

In NYC, sidewalks are for pedestrians and children.

schulz46

I try never to ride on sidewalks unless it is a multifunctional sidewalk where boh are allowed. I will say I'm being forced to do it because the road has no bike lane and very busy making it dangerous. Then I ride cautiously and slow down for all walkers. I don't use a bell but do say passing on the left or right. If that doesn't work I just stop until there passed me.

Noahma

in a couple of the cities near me it is illegal for anyone over the age of 16 to ride on a sidewalk and MUPS are limited to 16mph.

Lawrence Rhodes

If you are an adult you should not ride on the sidewalk. The speed of a bike is too fast and anyone coming out of a doorway is in danger. If you must be on the sidewalk ride at walking speed or simply walk your bike.

Gconan

I often ride sidewalks. One virtually no one uses them in my area. When on the rare occasion I make sure and get out of the way of the person walking. Sometimes by getting on the road briefly sometimes by cutting in the grass off of the sidewalk. I ride mostly Greenways but there are a few roads connecting them that by riding the road causes fast going cars to bunch up causing problems. In these areas it's much safer to ride the broken sidewalks. Just give people and their dogs the right of way.

Miele Man

For those of you promoting riding a bicycle on the sidewalk. How would you feel if your child, significant other, or parent walking or coming out of a store was injured by an adult bicyclist who was riding their bicycle on the sidewalk? Remember that most people who do ride on a sidewalk do NOT slow down to walking speed when they do so.

Cheers