Posted by chriso I ride my bicycle around downtown alot. I just heard from a friend of mine that while he was riding his bike downtown an officer stopped him and told him to get off of the sidewalk and ride in the street. Are bicylists not allowed to ride on the sidewalk? I am not very comfortable riding in the street without a bike lane. Dear chriso, The truth of the matter is that the sidewalk is meant for pedestrians. In other words, it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks. Bicyclists mus... mlazark thsas 2009-12-05T00:54:10Z 2009-12-05T00:54:10Z

I need to confirm this, but I thought bikes were given the same status as cars on the road, so I think you legally have the lane to take, as any automobile would. This is what makes me wonder why the pressure is on the bike riders to obey the law, when the problem is mostly on the cars that are not showing the repect for the bike riders?

thsas 2009-12-05T00:54:10Z Denise Coleman 2009-12-03T20:16:27Z 2009-12-03T20:16:27Z

Riding into Downtown on G st is a lot less scary than I st as well, and there is a bike lane. It's no big deal to go a couple blocks out of your way to keep from being squashed...

Denise Coleman 2009-12-03T20:16:27Z CCC 2009-12-03T17:57:22Z 2009-12-03T17:57:22Z

One more hazard for bikes-garbage containers/leaf piles in the bike lane. Where would you have me ride in this case? Out in the street in front of cars or the sidewalk? When the bike lanes can't be kept clear of leaf piles and garbage cans (not to mention people's car doors) then it makes the situation a bit more complicated and I sure as hell do not like riding in the street

CCC 2009-12-03T17:57:22Z Gabriel Frazee 2009-12-02T21:28:12Z 2009-12-02T21:28:12Z

Michelle, what constitutes "acting within the scope of their duties", does merely being "on the clock" allow officers to ride their bicycles on the sidewalk? I often see bicycle officers riding on the sidewalk when there doesn't seem to be any call they are responding to, I've even seen them ride on the sidewalk from the corner down to whatever cafe/restaurant they're going to.

Gabriel Frazee 2009-12-02T21:28:12Z Michelle Lazark 2009-12-01T17:35:13Z 2009-12-01T17:35:13Z

Actually, officers if acting within the scope of their duties (responding to a call, etc), are allowed to ride on the sidewalk. They don't take advantage of this authority.

Michelle Lazark 2009-12-01T17:35:13Z Gabriel Frazee 2009-12-01T04:54:48Z 2009-12-01T04:54:48Z

And you'd think motorists were entitled to break any traffic law they please if it'll get them home faster. Hunnicutt, there are bad cyclists and there are bad motorists, and lumping all cyclists/motorists together under the umbrella of a few bad apples doesn't really count as a valid argument.

Gabriel Frazee 2009-12-01T04:54:48Z William Burg 2009-12-01T03:40:26Z 2009-12-01T03:40:26Z

The "okay to ride on the sidewalk in residential district/not okay in commercial district" rule breaks down in mixed-use neighborhoods. How do you judge whether or not you can ride on the sidewalk along, say, L Street or J Street, where many blocks feature a mixture of businesses and residences? I have been told that if there are more residences than businesses it is treated as a residence--or vice versa for businesses. But is a bicyclist expected to stop and count buildings at every block before proceeding? How about, say, 18th-19th on L Street--the street is almost totally commercial on the ground floor, but there are 200 or so residential units on upper floors. Is that commercial or residential? And considering that many business streets have busy auto traffic but relatively little foot traffic, does that rule even make sense? And what happens when there is a bike lane on a residential street? Is a bicyclist expected to use the bike lane rather than the sidewalk, or not? To me, if there is a bike lane, that is where bikes should go, whether or not the street is residential--the sidewalk is obviously for pedestrians, and bicycles have their own designated lane, so get off the sidewalk! That's what I do when I ride, anyhow. In some ways this was less of an issue before so many of Sacramento's sidewalks were made ADA-compliant by adding ramps at corners. Before their additions, bikes had to stop and hop onto the sidewalk at curbs, now they can just roll onto the sidewalks. Making sidewalks usable by the disabled also facilitates their use by bikes--but having both wheelchairs and fast-moving bikes on a narrow sidewalk seems like it is asking for trouble.

William Burg 2009-12-01T03:40:26Z StellaM 2009-12-01T02:13:03Z 2009-12-01T02:13:03Z

I tend to use the sidewalks fairly often when I ride, for all the reasons everyone mentioned above. But, when there are pedestrians, I get off the sidewalk or pull over. I've had more than one cyclist run me off the sidewalk when I was a pedestrian, which is totally not okay. Obviously, the posters here are a little more aware than a lot of people who ride. I think of it this way...when I'm in a car, I try to be considerate of bikes. When I'm on a bike, I try to be considerate of pedestrians. When I am a pedestrian, I appreciate it when drivers and cyclists aren't trying to kill me.

StellaM 2009-12-01T02:13:03Z Steven Bourasa 2009-12-01T02:07:59Z 2009-12-01T02:07:59Z

When I see police officers riding bicycles in the downtown area, they are always riding on the sidewalk. Is this the policy of the city's police department? Are they riding on the sidewalk because it is safer??

Steven Bourasa 2009-12-01T02:07:59Z Ben Ilfeld 2009-12-01T01:01:47Z 2009-12-01T01:01:47Z

absolutely

Ben Ilfeld 2009-12-01T01:01:47Z thsas 2009-12-01T00:56:56Z 2009-12-01T00:56:56Z

There needs to be pressure (read: tickets) on the automobile drivers who do not give up the lane for bikes. Riding down J street on a bike is one of the scariest rides I make. Most of the cars will not make a lane for a bike, like they would for another car.

thsas 2009-12-01T00:56:56Z mtsacramento 2009-12-01T00:22:34Z 2009-12-01T00:22:34Z

I often do the same if I feel it's safe. It's much faster to ride in the street & there are some streets where it makes sense even without a bike lane. However, on my bike ride home from work at 5:00 up 10th St? Hello sidewalk. I think one of the most common misconceptions about cyclists is that they WANT to ride on the sidewalk.

mtsacramento 2009-12-01T00:22:34Z Ben Ilfeld 2009-12-01T00:00:09Z 2009-12-01T00:00:09Z

I know what you mean, but I choose to ride on the road and take up a lane. I do this because riding on sidewalks is often not safe for pedestrians and can confuse cars who do not expect fast moving bikers like me to use crosswalks.

Ben Ilfeld 2009-12-01T00:00:09Z Patrick J. 2009-11-30T23:28:27Z 2009-11-30T23:28:27Z

There are sings on N street saying you can ride on the sidewalk, so that is usually the best way to head out of Downtown. I usually use the sidewalks on L on the Parkside because you'd have to be suicidal to ride your bike down L street with the way people drive.

Patrick J. 2009-11-30T23:28:27Z CCC 2009-11-30T22:59:13Z 2009-11-30T22:59:13Z

Precisely.

CCC 2009-11-30T22:59:13Z mtsacramento 2009-11-30T22:27:26Z 2009-11-30T22:27:26Z

It's simple. Provide a bike lane & I will ride in it. When the bike lane goes away, I take each scenario as it comes. If I feel safer on the sidewalk then that is where I'm riding. I assume most anyone would do the same in a similar situation. Cyclists have just as much right to feel safe as everyone else.

mtsacramento 2009-11-30T22:27:26Z CCC 2009-11-30T21:36:40Z 2009-11-30T21:36:40Z

I could not agree more Beerzie. As a daily commuter I am very conscientious of all elements in my view, however there are times when the street is simply not an option (RR track crossings, fear of death by vehicle, double parking, delivery vans etc)due to automotive traffic and often really surprisingly and hostile bad attitudes toward bikes. I drive as well but always share the road, why wouldn't anyone else extend the same courtesy? How hard is it to allow someone on a bike a little breathing room and perhaps some courtesy in not assuming all cyclists are the same just as I do not assume are drivers are all the same until proven otherwise. I regularly experience all sorts of foul comments regarding my mode of transportation and it is boggling. Are Sacramentans as ignorant as people think they are? I would like to think not. A bicycle is valid and has much more business downtown than your automobile. It is not a big place and can be biked /walked/bused/trained very easily. I also see many cyclists policing other cyclists regarding their riding habits, this is good too unless it degenerates into a lecture rather than advice. Anyway, this is a needlessly sore subject in a city that is far more perfect for cycling than driving. The street goes both ways.

CCC 2009-11-30T21:36:40Z thsas 2009-11-30T21:20:44Z 2009-11-30T21:20:44Z

Just guessing, but perhaps the residential variation is in consideration of little kids who need to be on the sidwalk?

thsas 2009-11-30T21:20:44Z Ben Ilfeld 2009-11-30T19:03:58Z 2009-11-30T19:03:58Z

There is an exception for "residence districts." I believe that much of Sacramento falls into this exception. Of course that depends on the definition of "residence district." Of course, I find it funny that in business districts like downtown you are not allowed to ride on the sidewalk yet those are the streets that are the least safe for bicyclists on the road. Residential areas of Midtown have bike lanes and traffic is slower, but there bicyclists are allowed to ride on the sidewalk.

Ben Ilfeld 2009-11-30T19:03:58Z beerzie 2009-11-30T17:20:40Z 2009-11-30T17:20:40Z

Thanks for that giant wad of over-generalization, Hunnicutt. I have been a daily bike commuter for over 20 years and have encountered good and bad bicyclists AND drivers. Attitudes like yours are dangerous, as they are accompanied by similarly arrogant driving behaviors (see how easy it is to generalize?) and contribute to people like chriso being afraid to assume their rightful spot on the roadway.

beerzie 2009-11-30T17:20:40Z Hunnicutt 2009-11-30T17:06:50Z 2009-11-30T17:06:50Z

"Bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road as other vehicles”. You’d would think they were entitled to ride on the sidewalks by the way the expect people to move out of their way and get pissed when you don’t move out of the way. A majority of bicyclists also think they don’t have to stop at stop signs or lights at intersections and end up getting hit because of it.

Hunnicutt 2009-11-30T17:06:50Z