Advocacy & Safety - Bicycle riding on sidewalks

I know this has been discussed to death. I live in the San Francisco bay area (silicon valley).
I spend most of my rides in bike lines or in the street. On occasion, there can be small stretches that are dangerous where there is a combination of heavy traffic, not much room for a bike on the side of the road and a line of cars parked on the side where any one of them could spontaneously open a door.
Its at these times, I take my ride to the sidewalk for 100-300ft. On the sidewalk, I always ride slow and look out for pedestrians and try to avoid crosswalks with my bike
. California law doesnt seem to make it clear whethere its legal or illegal.
Supposedly its up for each town to make their own laws regarding cyclists on bikes.
Where can I find the individual laws or ordinances for specific California towns?
Thanks

I too will take to the sidewalk at times, reminding myself that on the sidewalk I should limit my speed to a fast walk (okay, a very fast walk) and use extra care. My rule for self is on the street, act like a car; on the sidewalk, act like a pedestrian, on a MUP ride to fit conditions.

The best source for individual town ordinances would likely be the municipalities themselves.

California law doesnt seem to make it clear whethere its legal or illegal.
Supposedly its up for each town to make their own laws regarding cyclists on bikes.
Where can I find the individual laws or ordinances for specific California towns?
Thanks
The California Vehicle Code provides rules for bicycling on streets and highways and those cannot be superceded by local ordinances. But the CVC doesn't cover bikes on sidewalks and therefore the individual municipalities can each set their own rules. In general, most towns only allow children below a specified age (around 10) to bicycle on the sidewalks, but there are exceptions. Some towns allow cycling on sidewalks along some of the busier roads where it's considered by some to be too narrow and congested for safe sharing. Since you're in Silicon Valley, I'd check with SVBC to get contact information for the specific municipalities; see:
http://bikesiliconvalley.org/

As a practical matter I'd be surprised if you get any objections for short sojourns on the sidewalk as long as you are riding not much over pedestrian speed and are careful to yield the ROW to any you meet.

Have you attempted to take the lane for that 100-300ft, instead of riding to the right?

I have a couple of spots where I use the sidewalk for no more than a block or so. One is a cut-through where the road doesn't go through, but the sidewalk beside a park does. No problem on that one. The other is a case where I turn left onto a fast, narrow 4-lane local road. I only need to go 1.5 blocks (i.e. one intersection) before I turn left again. It's not worth it to fight my way across the traffic just to have to fight my way back across again 1.5 blocks later.

It makes me ashamed of myself but I do it anyway :)

Have you attempted to take the lane for that 100-300ft, instead of riding to the right?

I havent yet had the courage to take the lane on a busy road.

I havent yet had the courage to take the lane on a busy road.

That's OK. Not everyone wants to be a martyr for vehicular cycling.

That's OK. Not everyone wants to be a martyr for vehicular cycling.

No one wants to be a martyr, uke.

And,

Taking the lane != VC

Taking the lane != being a martyr (i.e., being killed)

You are far too alarmist about these issues.

I have a couple of spots where I use the sidewalk for no more than a block or so...It makes me ashamed of myself but I do it anyway :)

Not to criticize, but I am surprised you should feel so bad about it. I always prefer the road, but when I have had the occasion to ride in a particularly cyclist-unfriendly region, which shall remain nameless, I used to feel some outrage that a virtuous cyclist would be relegated to the sidewalks. But in that region where cars are king, the sidewalks are not used, so why not? In fact by acceptance of sidewalk riding, I ride my bike more there.

I have come to favor this opinion of bikes as transportation:


...bikes should not be considered the same as cars. We are not cars. We have the capability to move through auto congestion in ways an automobile couldn't..

Given two relatively acceptable paths, I would prefer taking the one that allows me to avoid cars such as you described. In particular, commuters who have a defined destination are limited in their choices of routes, can't select perfect cycling roads, and IMO should be able to use all their capabilities. Of course when on a sidewalk or a MUP, we are to the pedestrians as cars are to cyclists on the roads and we should behave as we would have the cagers treat us.

It's not worth it to fight my way across the traffic just to have to fight my way back across again 1.5 blocks later.

It makes me ashamed of myself but I do it anyway :)

And as the other Jim notes, there's no need for shame. Given a choice between riding a clear sidewalk and riding or driving the high-speed and heavily-trafficked road next to it, I'd take the sidewalk. All things considered, I prefer the fastest route least traveled by cars. Sometimes that's the road. Sometimes that's the MUP. Sometimes that's the sidewalk. Most often, it's a combination of the three. When humility allows us to ride more often than our pride would allow, it can't be such a bad thing.

Taking the lane != VC

+1

I ride on the sidewalk occasionally, and share the lane whenever its physically possible (this means a lane width of a car width + 5ft). By A&S standards, this would probably classify me as 'gutter bunny' (though I typically make it a point to stay out of the gutter). This said, I typically end up taking the lane anyways via the right tire track (on roads where most drivers here won't pass even if I hug the curb)

Oh, and real world != C++ (use =/= or something)

Don't feel bad about going on the sidewalk in some places. Sometimes it actually is the safest. There is one section where I take the sidewalk for about 400'. It is going up a hill facing west. At the time of day that I ride it, the sun sits right at the top of the hill. You can't see anything when you drive up it. No way I am taking the road there if there is traffic and the sun is in the right/wrong spot. At the top of the hill is my destination anyways, so I might as well.