Cyclists on Sidewalks

[Duck on Wheels]

I don't know what the rules are in Texas, but here cyclists are allowed on the sidewalk if that's where they feel safest.
* On the sidewalk, cyclists must yield to pedestrians.
* Cyclists leaving the sidewalk yield to everybody in the street, unless they dismount and walk across at a crosswalk. This is one reason why it's sometimes smarter to stay in the road and claim the lane.
* And the answer to your question: Any car crossing the sidewalk either coming to or going from the road yields to anybody on the sidewalk including cyclists.
So according to Norwegian rules, you acted on a wrong assumption, but since the cyclists weren't endangered or hampered at all you did not act illegally.

[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).

[Geonz]

There is no One Big Rule for what's safest. Sounds like there *is* no really safe option for reasonably fast riding where you are.

An important part of "what's safe" is "what do people expect." When I lived in Columbia SC I spent a fair amount of time on sidewalks for the same reasons. Bridges were the worst!

[Bluetree]

I live in a high density area and don't consider sidewalks very safe. Mainly because the many apartment/condo complexes have underground parking lots. When cars come out of the subterranean lots, not only are they completely blind on both sides, but the driveways' steep incline flattens out at the sidewalk. Since drivers don't like to stop on an incline, they come roaring out and 'hang' on the apex before looking around - in the case, right in the middle of the sidewalk. I know a few complexes have bubble mirrors, but 90% of them don't. It's an accident just waiting to happen.

[Geonz]

It's really important to realize the difference between feeling safer and being safer. Lots of people *feel* like sidewalks are safer - but there are all kinds of hidden hazards. SOmetimes, though, they are - my last couple hundred yards to school, for instance. No interactions or conflicts and I can see from one end to the other - generally no pedestrians, either. The road's four busy lanes of people who do *not* want me there. I'm turning from the walk into the school so I don't even have to get back into traffic.
Group rides we do the road, though - sidewalk ends at the school so we'd have to get back in.

[indysteel]

The city ordinance where I live indicates that it's acceptable to ride on a sidewalk as long as you operate the bike in a safe manner vis-a-vis other people using the sidewalk. I would expect, then, to have the same rights as a pedestrian. That said, I don't like riding on sidewalks because I don't feel confident that drivers will notice me. Drivers (and I'm guilty of this too) get fixated on oncoming traffic, that they forget to look for sidewalk traffic. This is especially true on one way streets where pedestrians and cyclist sometimes walk/ride against traffic. If, for some reason, I had to use a sidewalk, I'd pay particular attention at intersections, parking lots, alleys, etc., for cars pulling into my path.

But as a driver (and a lawyer), I don't get too caught up in who has the right of way. It's just not a debate I'd want to lose the hard way, i.e., by hitting someone or otherwise causing an accident. I drive defensively whether I'm in my car or on my bike.

[guest1]

some people ride bikes

some people are cyclists

some people are roadies - they ride on the road

some people are mountain bikers - they ride on trails

there are those who do both while racing -- they are cyclocross racers

there are no sidewalk cyclists

some people ride bikes -- please do NOT confuse them with cyclists!

[snapdragen]

It's against the law to ride on the side walks here. From the DMV Handbook:

Bicyclists:
must ride in the same direction as other traffic, not against it.

must ride in a straight line as near to the right curb or edge of the roadway as practical— not on the sidewalk.

must make left and right turns in the same way that drivers do, using the same turn lanes.

may legally move left to turn left, to pass a parked or moving vehicle, another bicycle, an animal, or to make a turn, avoid debris, or other hazards.

may choose to ride near the left curb or edge of a one-way street.

may use a left turn lane. If the bicyclist is traveling straight ahead, he or she should use a through traffic lane rather than ride next to the curb and block traffic making right turns.

are lawfully permitted to ride on certain sections of freeways, when signs are posted. Be careful when approaching or passing a bicyclist on a freeway.

Drivers must:
look carefully for bicyclists before opening doors next to moving traffic or before turning right.

safely merge toward the curb or into the bike lane.

not overtake a bicyclist just before making a right turn. Merge first, then turn.

[Kalidurga]

some people ride bikes

some people are cyclists

some people are roadies - they ride on the road

some people are mountain bikers - they ride on trails

there are those who do both while racing -- they are cyclocross racers

there are no sidewalk cyclists

some people ride bikes -- please do NOT confuse them with cyclists!

I guess I'm not really a cyclist after all, because I feel like I have to put myself in the "some people ride bikes" category. I can't remember the last time I rode on the sidewalk, but I really hate to be limited as to what surface I can or cannot ride upon. Once I learn how to bunny-hop, I may find I just have to pop over a curb onto the sidewalk and back down just for the fun of it. If that makes me not a cyclist, then so be it

[Duck on Wheels]

It's against the law to ride on the side walks here. From the DMV Handbook:

Bicyclists:
must ride in the same direction as other traffic, not against it.

must ride in a straight line as near to the right curb or edge of the roadway as practical— not on the sidewalk.

Of course, this could be because in California, the let's drive there state, sidewalks are kept to a minimum so as not to "steal" space from the road. Whereas in Norway, sidewalks are many places built double-width with a dividing line so that half the sidewalk is a bike lane. That could explain why we're allowed to ride on sidewalks here, but only as long as we're not a nuisance to pedestrians, and are willing to forfeit our right-of-way at intersections.

As for who's a cyclist ... We just had a debate here about the definition of "Norwegian". The chairman of the Language Advisory Board put his foot in his mouth, had to extract it and apologize. The outcome is that anyone who lives in Norway is free to call him/herself a Norwegian. I think the term "cyclist" should be similarly defined: Anyone who rides a bike and wants to call him/herself a cyclist should be free to do so.

[doc]

some people ride bikes

some people are cyclists

some people are roadies - they ride on the road

some people are mountain bikers - they ride on trails

there are those who do both while racing -- they are cyclocross racers

there are no sidewalk cyclists

some people ride bikes -- please do NOT confuse them with cyclists!

That's just silly. I am a real roadie. I ride with the big boys and often make them eat dirt. However, if I'm out cycling with my 2 little girls, I'll be on the sidewalk. I educate them again and again and again that pedestrians have the right of way. But I'd rather they live and the drivers sure don't care so...

[mimitabby]

That's just silly. I am a real roadie. I ride with the big boys and often make them eat dirt. However, if I'm out cycling with my 2 little girls, I'll be on the sidewalk. I educate them again and again and again that pedestrians have the right of way. But I'd rather they live and the drivers sure don't care so...

Yesterday, I rode my bike 6 miles on the road and 3 blocks on the sidewalk.
when riding on sidewalks, I go slowly and obey all rules for pedestrians (don't cross the street until there is a walk sign, look both ways before going out into the street, yield to people, even stopping and getting off if necessary) Sometimes true cyclists find themselves on sidewalks because there isn't a better way to get from point A to point B (like crossing a busy multiple lane street)

[Grog]

That's just silly. I am a real roadie. I ride with the big boys and often make them eat dirt. However, if I'm out cycling with my 2 little girls, I'll be on the sidewalk. I educate them again and again and again that pedestrians have the right of way. But I'd rather they live and the drivers sure don't care so...

I hope there are no alleys, driveways or similar car exits along your way... A little guy (7 y.o.?) on my old street, riding with daddy on the sidewalk, was almost run over by a car coming out of a driveway, not even especially fast. Kids on bikes are much lower than adults, and as someone mentioned earlier, even careful drivers when they drive out (or worse have to back out) of driveways sometimes have very limited vision. Hence they have to get their front wheels on the sidewalk to see anything in front of them.

Of course it all depends on how your neighborhood is built. But in mine I'd rather ride the bike path with the kids or take them to a park and then ride.

[Deborajen]

In my hometown, it's legal to ride a bike on the sidewalks except in the downtown business district. We also have a "bike path" system (it's not the best), and some of that system is sidewalk. Although I prefer to ride on the less busy streets, you can't always get from point A to point B that way and if there's a short stretch of heavy traffic to contend with - on a street with no shoulder, I'd definitely get on the sidewalk - go nice and easy and watch all around - rather than put myself out with tons of machinery cutting around me by inches.

Although I agree it's a good general rule to ride on the street and not the sidewalk, never say "never." --

Deb

[Aint Doody]

I agree with Deb--never say never. There are some busy, busy bridges with no cycling lanes but sidewalks. I certainly will ride on those sidewalks.