Cyclists on Sidewalks

[Aseradyn]

In my part of Houston, 99% of bicycles are on the sidewalks (including mine!) There are several reasons for that: 1) the roads are fast (the slowest roads are about 35-40mph); 2) there are no shoulders, anywhere; and 3) there are relatively few pedestrians on most sidewalks (but the streets are very full of cars).

The result is that most of us ride on the sidewalks, unless it's a stretch of road without sidewalk (which also happens a lot), so that's where cars really expect us to be. Most cars that are turned across the sidewalk, waiting to enter the street traffic, will back up back into the parking lot to let bicycles pass.

I've heard people on every bike forum say things like, "Sidewalks are always more dangerous than streets" and I, quite frankly, disagree. That might be true in a downtown area, but it's not in my neighborhood. You won't get anywhere fast on a bike around here, but you're much less likely to get run over if you stick to the sidewalks and keep a good watch out.

The only bikes you see in the streets are either racing cyclists (rare around here - the type who travel in packs with matching jerseys and helmets) and utility bikes trying to get somewhere without sidewalk access (and being screamed at by passing cars).