Don't ride bikes on sidewalks

aokoye wrote: »

I will say, runners (running on the road) not wearing lights before sunrise/after sunset worries me more than cyclists, but just a hair more. In practice it's harder for me to see a runner than a cyclist in the dark likely because the profile is smaller. Runners, at least near my house, don't take the road in the same way cyclists do which makes it harder to see them. I mean it makes sense and I can't imagine that running in the middle of the road is legal or safe, but yeah - I do not enjoy accidently nearly driving uncomfortably close to a runner in the dark who isn't wearing any reflective clothing or lights.

We have some fool in my community who walks during the early morning hours, we generally see her between 5:30-6 am. She is walking in the road in the lane of oncoming traffic, in a hilly area, and has no lights or reflective gear. There are paved trails on either side of the road, but she walks in the road. She seems to think that she can jump on the grassy median if she sees headlights. I'm not sure how this is better, because now she's scaring the drivers who really aren't expecting someone to be standing randomly on the median (there are crosswalks and tunnels in this area for pedestrians at cross-streets), and she freaks out the runners and cyclists. Even with headlamps, we can't see her until we are right upon her, and we are moving a lot more slowly than a car.

We've tried posting on community pages letting people know and trying to encourage her not to do that, hoping someone who knows her will see and say something at the very least. I guess she'll learn the day someone forgets to turn on their headlights.

Don't need sidewalk nor roads.. 😎

NorthCascades wrote: »

Maxxitt wrote: »

As a pedestrian frequently with a dog on the sidewalk, I appreciate a "on your left" or "on your right" from an approaching bicyclist. In some places in my neighborhood, the bike lane and sidewalk are the same pavement. We all just try to look out for each other. But the danger is real - there are little kids zooming around and not watching for cars backing out of driveways, etc.

A lot of cyclists will say "on your left" but it's generally better to say something like "bike passing." Half the time if you day you're passing on the left, the person will have been focused elsewhere, not paying attention, they just hear left and move left.

This applies to shared bike/pedestrian paths too. If you crash into someone while you're going 15 mph, it's going to hurt a lot for both of you. We cyclists need to use judgement and situational awareness. We need to pass with enough room to be able to react, and at a safe speed for the conditions. It's a really good idea to announce yourself somehow if people are walking the same direction and can't see you, then they'll stay out of your path. A lot of people are wearing earbuds though so don't just count on them hearing you.

I hear you about people not listening (and also so many are plugged in to their phones). But with the dog, it's really helpful to hear what side the cyclist is coming from so I can rein him in appropriately. If he's startled by a cyclist zooming by close to him, he will jump (and he's huge) and then the cyclist is startled and it doesn't always end well.

I am a bicycle commuter. I'm fortunate to live in what has been dubbed the most bike-friendly state in the USA, and I am in the city that has been dubbed the most bike-friendly in the state. Even with that, we could all work on being better users of the shared resource -- our streets. I routinely see cyclists riding the wrong way on the road. This is not safe, and it's not predictable. I've seen cyclists hit doing this, and it's really their own fault.

Where I live, bikes are prohibited from a small downtown core area and the block where the library is. Skateboards, too. Otherwise, they are allowed, but you have to travel at a walking pace. Most cyclists don't do that.

The issue is more confusing with multi-modal paths. These function as large sidewalks and also bike highways. When I walk, most cyclists ring a bell or call out. When I'm riding, I always ring my Crane bell. Such a friendly tone! What I do see is so many folks with ear buds; they can't even hear me. If they are on the phone, they may also be flailing their arms, so I'm always careful passing. Part of my commute is on busy streets, but part is along the river on a multi-modal path. The last part of that path is a gauntlet because it's on the "wrong side" of the street, and there is an intersection and then a few commercial driveways that come out onto the highway. I almost got creamed yesterday as someone pulled out of the store parking lot in a rush, looked to their left, and floored it to get into traffic. I saw her pull up, so I slowed down, but it was still a close call. There's always (often, anyway) a look of terror when a driver realizes they almost creamed someone. Then the multi-modal path ends at a traffic light with difficult visibility. Still -- when I visit other cities, I realize how good we have it.

Pedestrians need to take some responsibility, too. There's a crosswalk at every intersection whether it's marked or not. There are some crosswalks marked mid block, and pedestrians have a right of way there, too. But they don't have right of way whenever they want. It's not illegal in my state (or my city) to cross the road anywhere (there's no jaywalking here), but if a pedestrian chooses to cross mid-block without a crosswalk, they don't have right of way. Better be fast! Even in a marked crosswalk at an intersection, a pedestrian does NOT have right of way if it's against a traffic light. I see that often. Also, it's dangerous and ILLEGAL to leave a place of safety into a place of danger, like just stepping off a sidewalk in front of a car. A pedestrian needs to indicate a wish to cross, and that establishes right of way.

We're seeing more powered cycles around here. I don't think those should be on the sidewalk, and some are powerful and fast enough that they shouldn't be in the bike lane, either. Our rules will probably catch up at some time, but for now we just need to be careful, and it really wouldn't hurt to try to be more courteous to each other and pay attention. And follow most of the rules

I live in an area that some of the bike paths are on the pavement. I follow those that are clearly marked but have yelled to pedestrians in a group before that do not acknowledge or move, so I have to accommodate by slowing down far less than a walking pace that barely keeps me upright. I have often had to walk part of the path while on the sidewalk section to get to the blacktop paved sections. I follow the railroad trails that have been paved for this purpose for multimodal use, near Annapolis Maryland.

Well, I live in a city where it's more acceptable to ride your tractor or ATV around town than a bicycle. When riding on my own, I ride in the street. But if I'm with the kids, we are on the sidewalk with a parent in front and a parent in back.

lorrpb wrote: »

I've found even some "mutli-use" trails are scarier than roads. Walkers, strollers, and dogs all over the place. You never know what they're going to do. YIKES!

Further, @NorthCascades I found out that there is no statewide helmet law in WA. It's all regulated by cities and counties. And not very many across the state have them. It was shocking to me.
https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/travel/commute-choices/bike/helmets

Urg. THIS.

I run on a multi use paved trail/road, with clearly marked and separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians. The number of cyclists who decide it’s ok to go into the pedestrian lane — and then have the audacity to get pissed off at the runners —is appalling.

hesn92 wrote: »

Sorry. I ride on the sidewalk through my neighborhood because I ride up to the park with my three year old. My three year old is not riding his bike in the street. I go around pedestrians if there are any. What else should I do

I think that your situation is pretty much the only acceptable excuse for riding on the sidewalk given that little kids tend to ride very slowly at the best of times. I'd certainly suggest being extra cautious at intersections as drivers aren't expecting bikes crossing the road especially if they're turning right and you're approaching from their right (hell, most of them don't even look for pedestrians....)

If you're cycling on the sidewalk and pop out onto a road to cross, you can get hit even if a motorist obeys all the rules of the road and looks around. The fact is at pedestrian crossings motorists are looking for things that move like pedestrians. In the time it takes me to turn my head one way and the other and see nothing, a bike can appear and be directly in my path. Also cycling up to such and screeching to a stop just before doesn't help either, how motorists supposed to know you are aware and stopping? Both of these things have happened to me multiple times. It's not necessarily safer on the sidewalk because you're not always on the sidewalk.

NorthCascades wrote: »

Very sorry to hear that @icemom011. Hugs and best wishes for you still feeling ok in the morning.

How's your bike?

Thank you very much. It's ok, making weird noise on the rear brake, but wheel seems ok, i will reinspect later, it's hard to move, and bending is too painful.

garystrickland357 wrote: »

FireOpalCO wrote: »

I'm buying a bike for my birthday this weekend and you guys are making me nervous.

I hear ya... Here's the way I look at things now:
When I was obese I was killing myself one forkfull at a time. I stopped that and adopted healthier habits. I run and cycle. If someone takes me out, then that's on them - THEY hurt me as opposed to me hurting myself. I do all I can to be safe but there are risks. I think we have to remember that we are at risk every time we drive as well. I think we all just accept (or don't think about) that risk.

Also, the risks we face depend very much on where we live. I live in rural Texas. Honestly, in all my years of cycling I've never had a serious incident. I've had some folks make me nervous, but that's it. Now that I think about it I was nearly hit twice in my car on the freeway when I was in Austin this past weekend. We shrug that off don't we?

Many years ago, I quit smoking and drinking to excess and took up biking. After several close encounters at intersections, I joked that I had switched from slow suicide to a faster form of self-destruction. Eventually I stopped riding. I would love to get out on a bike again, but where I live has few wide bike lanes, and those are only on busy highways. The rest of the roads are twisting hill routes that have zero visibility. I don't mind running on them any more, because I can hear cars coming most of the time, but I think it's too dangerous for bikes.

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

garystrickland357 wrote: »

FireOpalCO wrote: »

I'm buying a bike for my birthday this weekend and you guys are making me nervous.

I hear ya... Here's the way I look at things now:
When I was obese I was killing myself one forkfull at a time. I stopped that and adopted healthier habits. I run and cycle. If someone takes me out, then that's on them - THEY hurt me as opposed to me hurting myself. I do all I can to be safe but there are risks. I think we have to remember that we are at risk every time we drive as well. I think we all just accept (or don't think about) that risk.

Also, the risks we face depend very much on where we live. I live in rural Texas. Honestly, in all my years of cycling I've never had a serious incident. I've had some folks make me nervous, but that's it. Now that I think about it I was nearly hit twice in my car on the freeway when I was in Austin this past weekend. We shrug that off don't we?

Many years ago, I quit smoking and drinking to excess and took up biking. After several close encounters at intersections, I joked that I had switched from slow suicide to a faster form of self-destruction. Eventually I stopped riding. I would love to get out on a bike again, but where I live has few wide bike lanes, and those are only on busy highways. The rest of the roads are twisting hill routes that have zero visibility. I don't mind running on them any more, because I can hear cars coming most of the time, but I think it's too dangerous for bikes.

And that's valid for sure. I have much safer places to ride. Were I in your situation I might make the same choice.