Bike Forums - View Single Post - How bike friendly is your city or area?

11-25-13 | 07:50 AM

#54

AusTexMurf

Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2012

Posts: 919

Likes: 15

From: South Austin, Texas

Bikes: 2010 Origin8 CX700, 2003 Cannondale Backroads Cross Country, 1997 Trek mtn steel frame converted commuter/tourer, 1983 Univega Sportour, 2010 Surly LHT, Others...

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalksOn2Wheels

2) Regarding "taking the lane," Texas state law has a very different opinion of what I guess the police there told you. If I were in the unfortunate situation of living there, I would just take the lane and have a printed copy of the state law on hand for when I did get pulled over. To my admittedly limited knowledge, state law should trump any local ordinance. At least, that is what I would think...

All info reposted from bicycleaustin.info

Sec. 551.103. Operation on Roadway. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless: (1) the person is passing another vehicle moving in the same direction; [or]
(2) the person is preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway; [or] (3) a condition on or of the roadway, including a fixed or moving object, parked or moving vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or surface hazard prevents the person from safely riding next to the right curb or edge of the roadway; or
(4) the person is operating a bicycle in an outside lane that is

A) less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or(B) too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travel side by side.
(b) A person operating a bicycle on a one-way roadway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or edge of the roadway. (c) Persons operating bicycles on a roadway may ride two abreast. Persons riding two abreast on a laned roadway shall ride in a single lane. Persons riding two abreast may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic on the roadway. Persons may not ride more than two abreast unless they are riding on a part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles.

[back to list of TX laws] Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1085, Sec. 10, 13, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Where in the lane to ride. (Sec. 551.103) You have to ride as far to the right as is "practicable". Of course, many of us feel that cars whizzing by us in the same lane is dangerous and thus it's more "practicable" to take the whole lane in such cases, but that's for the court to decide if you use that defense. There are exceptions when you don't have to ride to the right:
- when the outside lane is too small to fit a car and bike side by side, or is less than 14 feet wide (4)
- when there are hazards in your way (dead animals, potholes, etc.) (3)
- when you're passing a slower-moving vehicle (1)
- when you're going at least as fast as surrounding traffic (a)
- when you're preparing to make a left-hand turn (2)
- when you're on a one-way street (in that case, you can ride to the far left instead of the far right) (b)

It's perfectly fine to ride on a paved shoulder. (Sec. 545.058)

Two-abreast OK. You can ride two-abreast as long as you don't "impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic", and as long as both bikes are in the same lane. Otherwise, you're expected to ride single-file. (Sec. 551.103)

Reply

0