Should children 'take the lane' ?
 

The safe routes to school program apparently teaches children (over 8?) to drive their bike like a car, 'take the lane', and never ride on sidewalks.

"Another safety rule is: we do not ride our bikes on sidewalks. Why do you think that is? > Riding our bicycles on the sidewalk is dangerous and is only recommended for children younger than age nine."

Is anyone very familiar with this? Am I missing something? Does this seem nutty?

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/saferoute...curriculum.pdf

Page 56: Not riding on the sidewalk is one of the five key rules for bicyclists.

The negative influence of Effective/Vehicular Cycling Ideology and its disciples on any education program associated with the the League of American Bicyclists still raises its ugly head.

With a recent tandem purchase, I have been faced with that choice when my 10yo was riding stoker. Even with him on the bike, if the situation calls for me to put myself into a position to obstruct the lane to prevent a bad/unsafe pass, I do it. I am also scouting out a backup plan if the vehicle driver attempts to pass anyway.

It's never cut and dry though. When I educate my 3 kids on bicycle safety, I stress that the best way to stay safe around vehicles is to avoid them altogether. Watch for pinch points, don't put yourself into a tricky situation and use your best judgement. I also tell them to listen to see if the driver has lifted from the throttle, what speed the vehicle is going in relation to the conditions (blind curve, hill, oncoming traffic), etc... and to never trust that anyone has seen you and even cares to be cautious if they do see you.

It doesn't sound nutty to me. I was hit by a car when I was ten years old. Riding on the wrong side of the road in the gutter. I doubt it would have happened had I been on the correct side, in the proper lane position... which sometimes is in the center of the lane.

That is the bottom line, for adults as well as children, a fact never understood by the proselytizers for Hard and Fast Rules of Proper Bicycling™ such as "Take the Lane" and "Never Ride on the Sidewalk."

13 is the magic age here.

Under 13 sidewalks

Over 13 road or street.

I am surprised that the parent/motorists of Mn have not raised holy heck about the take the lane part. General acceptance of cyclists taking the lane seems pretty low to me, and when children are taught things that conflict with the parents view of the world (right or wring makes no difference) there is usually a huge outcry. I still see some parents teaching their kids to ride on the edge against traffic.

EDIT: After reading through the linked program guide, its pretty decent. A lot is what I would think is the parents responsibility to teach a growing child, but as some folks have turned that over to the schools, the program itself is pretty good. OK the dropping watermelons to simulate un-helmeted bicycle riding is over the top, but its still OK. Furthermore, I believe that to normalize utilitarian cycling it has to be introduced as a normal activity to children, by the time they grow to adulthood there are far too many prejudices introduced.

Text underneath a diagram depicting a (child) cyclist crossing three arterial lanes from a bike lane in order to make a left turn.

It's nucking futs.

Doesn't sound nutty to me either. The only child cyclist fatality that I can remember in our town was specifically a result of the opposite instruction given here - i.e. for those 12 and under to ride on the sidewalk. As a result, a student at the elementary school on our street was riding on the sidewalk into a crosswalk and wasn't seen until it was too late by a school bus driver. A hedge limiting visibility was also a factor and was chopped down the next day.

I am an old man. I think I'd be considered an experienced cyclist. I have no problem with taking the lane... and almost always do.

But on the other hand... I also have no problem slowing to a gentile roll and using the sidewalk to get around tree trimmers and other service personal when mixed with local traffic congestion. I also don't mind dismounting and walking my bicycle across a busy intersection at rush hour. My only hard and fast rule is to make it home alive. My wife depends on me being there... when my pay check arrives.

Being safe means knowing what is dangerous and why. Riding on the sidewalk is dangerous... particularly at any speed. Cars never seem to look for traffic crossing the driveways and parking lot entries. So... a car will turn in to their home or drug store never expecting a child (or adult) to be there. Pedestrians and small children move along slow enough to avoid the cars and to be easier to spot. But a quick moving silent bicycle will just "appear" in front of a motorist.

For those who agree with teaching children to take the lane and not ride on sidewalks. To get almost anywhere in our suburbs requires travel along a road that is 2 to 5 lanes and sometime as many as 7 at intersections. Speed limits range from 40 to 55 with actual speeds about 5 to 10 over. A surprising number of these have no shoulder or only about 1'.

Better for a child to ride in the lane with 50 mph traffic on a 5-lane road or ride on the adjacent 8' - 10' wide sidewalk?

What if the sidewalk is separated from the road by 5' of grass and is asphalt so really a MUP or bike path?

The diagrams I see (such as on page 71) actually show only one lane in each direction (i.e. a two-lane road), but with the single lane divided into thirds to indicate different riding positions. I.e. normally riding toward the right part of the lane (position '3') but moving toward the center (position '2') if there are parked cars or other hazards and toward the left (position '1') if preparing for a left turn. The whole guide seems appropriately geared toward riding on local neighborhood residential streets for going to school or visiting nearby friends.

See page 67.
It's beyond ridiculous to expect a minor to pull that maneuver. Actually its ridiculous to expect most adults to pull that type of maneuver.

Page 67 shows exactly the same road type as is explained in more detail and with instruction on page 71. Both are showing a two-lane road (one lane in each direction) but with the single lane divided into thirds to show the cyclist normally riding toward the right (position '3') but moving to the left for specific situations, incl. to the leftmost third (position '1') when preparing for a left turn.

I think this would be fine on a residential street with 25 mph speed limits. We don't have any of those because the state sets a 30 mph minimum speed limit for all roadways and even so it's quite common for people to drive 40 mph or more on our standard 30' wide residential streets.

The thought of a 9 or 10 year old or even a 14 year old doing this in front of 50 mph traffic does not seem advisable.

I also wonder what would happen if all of the kids that today ride on the sidewalk suddenly started riding in the roadway and causing all the cars to slow to 10 mph.

Prathmann is correct, its showing a 2 lane road divided into 3 "lane positions". I don't think even the most rabid VCer would advocate a child using the left lane of a 6 lane arterial, that would be insane.

I lived in the city of Duluth(Minnesota) for four years. Children should 'take the lane'. I just hope they wouldn't do it on the streets that go north-south. As opposed to those streets that go east-west.

Duluth is on the shores of Lake Superior, and to get to places like Miller Hill Mall. Without taking the bus or driving. They would have to go north on U.S. 53. A high traffic artery in the city.

Cycling on the sidewalk is just as safe as cycling on the road........ If one cycles like they're on a sidewalk rather than on the road. Its just a different skill set.

Motorists don't care. You are in the lane, you are in their way. Legal or not. If you get clipped or hit, hopefully it won't leave you paralyzed, or put you in the hospital for any length, regardless of winning in court.

Needless to say, I'm no longer a fan of bike lanes and or taking the lane. No bicycle will ever win vs auto. Physics trump laws most of the time.

According to http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd...ss/ssspdlt.pdf
"On a residential roadway, local authorities can reduce the speed limit to 25 mph." and to 15 mph in school zones.
Good to hear that you have so many kids riding. These days I see so few kids bicycling that I don't think it would have any significant impact on other traffic no matter where they were riding.

The rest of my sentence said "and even so it's quite common for people to drive 40 mph or more on our standard 30' wide residential streets."

my bad...that's what i get for not reading the text in detail.

nevertheless, that's still not the kind of maneuver i would want a young child to pull.

i agree and even as an adult i will take the sidewalk when it's safer or quicker.

i think sidewalk riding is a must for younger children since they, in general, lack the maturity to be making split-second decisions in car traffic.

I think that the most rabid VCers, as well as some not as rabid, give little consideration to any other bicyclists than those who fit their own cycling profile, mostly experienced older club cyclists and other very experienced recreational/sport cyclists, and less than zero consideration to the needs of children and transportational cyclists.

Maybe I have a warped perspective, but since I rode extensively as a child, have continued to ride extensively as an adult, and have ridden extensively with my child as well as others, I just don't see any problem with teaching children how to ride properly. It seems obvious to me that knowing how and when to take the lane is a basic riding skill, right up there with being able to brake properly. Not being able to do it would be rather restrictive and/or dangerous if one intends to use a bicycle to meet one's transportation desires.

For those of you who haven't ridden with children, it is a different experience than riding alone or with other adults. That small percentage of motorists who appear to hate cyclists and do all sorts of obnoxious close passes seemingly designed to "teach you a lesson" disappear when a child is in the picture. People who have no patience for an adult on a bike slowing them down will happily wait all day for a child. When they pass it is almost as if they actually care about the child's well-being. One of my neighbors has four children. He thought our local motorists were very courteous until his kids got older and he found himself mostly riding without them. He was shocked at how much more aggression he faced when he didn't have an escort of children.

Now if we could just get the adults who ride on bike paths to give children the same safety/courtesy that motorists give them on the road, we might just get some of those children to enjoy riding their bikes.