Who the HELL has ever been ticketed/hit by a vehicle on a sidewalk?...

I know it's illegal BLAH BLAH, but the more I cycle the more I think, I'm getting on that sidewalk when I'm uncomfortable with traffic.

The rest of you can tout your laws and proper regulations to some other idiots, it's all about what's SAFEST. Here, we have 1 street in a 50 mile radius with a few miles of bike path, and they are pleased with themselves. It's full of debris.

Effing Beaumont Texas.

Also, I firmly believe the introduction of bike lanes into a community further pervade the concensus that we don't 'belong' there at all.

Given that you're several times more likely to be hit in an intersection or driveway on the sidewalk than in the road, your 'safety' argument is kind of silly. Not to mention the fact that sidewalks tend to be full of pedestrians.

Not me. I'm not sure if the police would say anything even if one saw me doing it. They seem to have me on ignore.

Not here, other than downtown and a few other places. Only losers walk or ride bicycles around here.

I saw someone get hit by an SUV on the sidewalk. It was leaving its driveway.

:

i have a pretty regular 20 round trip ride i do.

i leave my apartment complex directly on to the sidewalk so as to quickly get to the strip mall parking lot that provides a relatively safe environment. it's only about 50 yards of sidewalk. occasionally i encounter pedestrians. i usually ride off the sidewalk or stop and let them pass. after all, it's only 50 yards.

there are a couple of other spots where the sidewalk seems to be preferable to the road.

like the OP, i ride on it when the alternative seems less safe for all concerned.

and no, i have never been ticketed in 30 years. including about 10 major cities. (denver, tuscon, phoenix, detroit, columbus, sacramento, san francisco) ok, about 7 major cities.

This is why you gotta carry a weapon while riding on the sidewalk.




Gotta love these A&S threads on the 41

You would live in Beaumont.

Careful. I live in Jax. I've handled cases in Beaumont. There are certain elements that are not much different.

I loved Beaumont, just found the people there to be a little different. Our OP fits perfectly.

I almost ran over a "cyclist" last week that came off of a sidewalk. I checked the lane, started pulling out, next thing I know he was just there. He never showed up in my field of vision until he was almost hit.

Here in Virginia Beach we have "bike lanes" here and there. Notice the quotation marks. I did that because they are really nothing more than widened sidewalks that walkers/joggers also use. So of course all of the serious roadies ride on the roads even when a "bike lane" is present. We have a lot of trouble with motorists because around here the majority of motorists don't accept the fact that bikes have a right to be in the road as well. Recently there have been two hit and run incidents as well as some moron who thought it would be funny to throw thumbtacks out along a well-known bike route used on daily rides sponsored by a local bike shop. Lots of flat tires and a couple of minor injuries were the result of that one.

Wait, just so I'm clear: you're advocating for riding on the sidewalk, but you oppose bike lanes on the street?

We just had a sidewalk thread that covered much of the safety debate. The one wrinkle this adds is: Do police in your area ever ticket cyclists for riding on them?

Come on! If you're looking for a perfectly safe activity get out of cycling! They call'em road bikes for a reason. You're safer on the road than dodging pedestrians on the sidewalk. How fast can you go while all this is going on? If you can't bring yourself to ride on the road where you belong then find another sport.

Missed my point entirely. Who here has ever personally been ticketed/warned by an LEO for being on a sidewalk? Like I give a **** if you think I'm scared of the road.

How anyone could like Beaumont is beyond me, the entire community thrives off the refineries *including myself unfortunately/fortunately*. Pedestrians on the sidewalk, few and scarce. This is an industrialized rural area, with weird population focuses centering around now ancient port cities such as Port Arthur, Sabine Pass, that are so destitute and crime ridden its sick.

For every sidewalk incident I could find 10 road fatalities.

My point is you will just not get ticketed for riding on the sidewalk in my area. You are more likely to be applauded, honestly. My main areas of point are as follows.

Martin Luther King Blvd, Beaumont Texas
Gulfway Drive, Port Arthur Texas

These are NO SHOULDER roadways of course.

These streets are main blvds and a death trap to cyclists, and I ALWAYS use the sidewalk when it's available. Laughably, it is not, and ends randomly and abrubtly only to begin again as randomly and abrubtly. The surrounding areas are very poor and abandoned, and the waterways that are a part of my area leave other travel routes non-existent or too far a detour to be considered for commuting. Also, detours are also relatively dangerous, so this argument is null to detour for safety.


Outside of dense cities and I guess California...riding on the sidewalk is both the safer and more accepted way to use a bicycle, HOWEVER incorrect that may be according to the law.

No it isn't.

In my area, yes, it is. This could be observed through a study, and numerous studies are done and prove a drivers ignorance of the laws required to known in order to drive. It can be safely assumed this assumption (sidewalk bicycling = correct to american public) pervades the majority of american drivers.

If you disagree, that's your opinion.

I got hit by a car where a bi-directional multi-use path crossed a road since cars aren't looking for vehicle speed traffic off the main road way. After that I switched from riding on the path during times of traffic to using the road with no shoulder.

When I'm uncomfortable the shoulder (non-existent, cracks, grates, potholes, etc.) I get myself about 1/3 - 1/2 of the way into the lane, far enough left that no one can make a close pass squeezing around me on that side and far enough right that they can't try that. Never been hit by a car doing that.

So we have 2 OPINIONS here with no factual data. If it "could be observed through a study", then do the fricken study... until then, understand that your opinion holds no more or less water than the opposition.

/shrug.

I think it's only really an opinion for people who don't ever ride on the street. It becomes pretty clear once one removes his head from his ass and rides his bike.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule.

Studies have been done. You know they have, I know they have, stop BS'ing me, we've all seen em. Motorists are vastly un-aware of DOT regulation, and this INCLUDES bicycle regulations pertaining to the use of roadways as well as illegal use of sidewalks.

Because you can't make this mental leap is of no concern to me.

To anyone thinking I don't 'use the road' or 'ride'... here's what a commute to class looks like. I try to do this once a week.

Commute to class

I wish we had more sidewalks AND bike lanes, but I only got one of the two.